Project 2512125: The Crusade of a Team of Heroes
by the-stretch-beyond-spandex
Summary: Chp 9  with Spiderman and Quicksilver. "Does the fact that we're going to die bother you at all, Peter?" Pietro pressed. "Or is this all another joke to you? I have better things to do, like find my sister- who right now needs more than anything-"
1. What Were They Expecting?

**Project 2512125**

**Chapter 1: What Were They Expecting?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Avengers *sniffles***

**A/N: Yay, another story. I really shouldn't start a new story when I already have a 30+ chaptered story that really needs updating, but I've been writing this story for a week now and it already has 5 chapters written. And I just had to put it up cause the Young Avengers need more stories. So, here it is...  
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_A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down._

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Billy hit his head on his table. Why did he choose for Thomas Shepherd to join _his _school? Just because they're brothers and all. He's a delinquent for gods sake! And to make matter worse, his parents let him move in with him after Tommy's own parents kicked him out for being a superhero. (the fact that his parents let him move in required a lot of magical assistance.)

"And so," Tommy said to their shared physics class. He was doing a presentation on the speed of sound. Ironic much. "That concludes the history of the speed of sound." he bowed slightly, giving the applauding class an award-winning smile. Tommy fitted in very well.

The bell rang and the class started to pack their books up. Silently they filed out of the classroom. Some of them giving Tommy pats on the back, muttering 'good jobs'. Billy sighed and reached for his books, but they weren't there.

"What!" Billy exclaimed to himself. He looked around for a suspect or someone to blame. But he knew automatically who it was; it didn't even require half a brain cell. "Tommy." he sighed.

"Hey!" Tommy appeared beside him. He was holding, to no suprise, Billy's bag and books, already packed. "Come on- it's lunchtime."

Billy slowly got up and grabbed his bag of the speedster, showing maybe a little anger towards him "I'm coming." Tommy got on his nerves sometimes- wait, scratch that and make it _all the time._

"Good." said Tommy, opening the door for his twin. They both started to head outside. "What are we doing tonight bro?" he asked.

"Training again." Billy answered for him He spotted a sunny patch of grass. He headed towards it, threw his bag down and then sat down. He took a green apple from his bag and took a bite, the sweet taste making his day slightly better.

Tommy followed suite, but he took out a punnet of red strawberries.

"Hey guys!" a familiar voice greeted. Coming towards them was a young girl. She muttered a bitter hello to Tommy and joined them on the grass.

"Hi Meg. **(A/N: Sweet Sour Insanity, that's for you.) **Billy said, is mouth full with a piece of apple.

She nodded and lay down on the grass. She was one of Billy's friends. Obviously she didn't know about his or Tommy's alter ego's; Wiccan and Speed. She knew about Billy being gay, she didn't pick on him or tease him; unlike everyone in the school excluding Tommy. She was what people considered a true friend.

They ate in silence, talking now and again about topics that never really mattered.

Tommy was just waiting for the last class of the day so he could bolt home at his superhuman speed, grab another punnet of strawberries, run to HQ, and kick Eli's ass at fencing or any other activity they trained together with.

"What do you have next?" Meg asked Billy. For some unknown reason she didn't seen to like Tommy much.

"Sport." Tommy answered excitedly. Tommy was the star of their sports class. Well, having superhuman speed might help on his account.

Billy was initially surprised at Tommy's intellect. You would think that someone as cocky, stuck up and utterly annoying as him would have a brain of some sort.

Tommy, was pretty much good at everything. Except history. His excise for sleeping in that class was true to some extent. _History is called history for a reason, we shouldn't dig it up and create more mess. _With him, Eli and the rest of the Young Avengers, Captain America was a touchy subject. Cap might have been the only Avenger that would come remotely close to accepting their team for what they were; not a bunch of super-powered fan-boys (with the exception of Billy of course.)

"Wanna strawberry?" Tommy asked the witch. He had a handful of the juicy fruits in his hand.

Billy took one gingerly, and nibbled on it.

Meg had left earlier to go to her extra English class that she took. Billy was thinking about Teddy. Damn, he was _always _thinking about the shape-shifter. And the fact that he was hopelessly in love with him didn't help.

And like a saviour, Billy's mobile rang. Knowing that it would be Teddy, he put a finger to his lips to silence Tommy who now had his mouth full of strawberries, a red liquid seeped through his mouth an dribbled down his chin.

He wiped it off and nodded. Now it was Billy and Teddy time. Like it was _every _lunchtime.

"Hey." Billy said. He loved hearing Teddy's voice. It soothed and calmed him down when Tommy was being a complete pain in the ass. Which, was pretty much all the time.

"Are you coming tonight?" Teddy asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Billy grinned to himself.

"Yeah, I suppose it was a stupid question." he paused. "How's Tommy?"

"You ask this _every _time." Billy complained. "He's the usual."

Tommy looked up from his...salad? "You guys are a really sad couple. I mean, who rings up their boyfriend everyday to check if his brother is being a pain in the ass or not?" So Teddy, stop worrying, I'm not going to sleep with Billy, I can assure you that."

Billy heard Tommy's mellow laugh on the other end of the call. "Thanks Tommy, your really reassuring."

"I try." Tommy filled his mouth yet again with this time, a tomato. Did Tommy ever _not _eat? thought Billy as he watched his twin.

"Anyway, I'll see you tonight. Say hello to Tommy for me." said Teddy.

"Yeah, I love you." said Billy. Behind his back, unknown to Billy; Tommy pretended to throw up.

"Me too Billy. See you later." Teddy ended the call.

Billy turned to Tommy, who this time was munching on some lettuce.

The bell rang.

"Come on." he said, picking up his bag. "We have sport."

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"Why do you wear your costume underneath?" asked a breathless Billy as he quickly chased after his brother. "And why do you walk so fast?"

Tommy looked back at the witch in disapproval regarding his fitness. "I walk fast because I'm, in case you haven't noticed- a speedster. And I wear my costume underneath because personally I think I look extremely attractive in it." Billy shook his head at Tommy's vanity. "-And your welcome to wear your underneath too. And I'm sure that everyone would love to see you in tights and a pink cape."

Billy tried to hit him in the arm. But being a junior Quicksilver, he dodged it without any effort. "It's red." he told him.

They quickly reached the abandoned Bishop Publishing building which served as the current Young Avengers HQ. And at this moment, it was being refurbished by Kate, aka Hawkeye.

Tommy reached for the door, but people were storming out. Hawkeye, Patriot, Hulkling, Vision and Stature rushed out in full uniform. Patriot spotted the stunned twins.

"Oh, Speed, Wiccan. We have a mission." Eli said.

"Yes." hissed Tommy gleefully.

Kate fished a neatly folded note from her pocket and handed to Billy. "Don't get to excited Speed, it's more of a wild goose chase."

"From who?" Billy asked regarding the note. Tommy unfolded it. "Who would ask us for a retrieval mission?"

Kate grinned. "How about Invisible Woman and Human Torch?" Billy and Tommy's faces were ones of clear amazement.

"Seriously?" Tommy exclaimed. Kate nodded smugly, "Geez, they must of been _really _desperate."

Billy opened the letter. It read:

_To the Young Avengers, (Or whatever you'd like to be called.)_

_This might be a little surprising coming from us, but it's urgent. As soon as you get this, see to it immediately. _

_Hiding in the blue box warehouse is one of the most deadliest superheroes ever to be created. Please find them. Their powers are nothing compared to ours. They are known as Project 2512125._

_I warn you though, go easy on them. They have a delicate mind, and no guarantees on your safety,_

_But please be quick, they are others who want them too. Do not ignore this- all will be explained soon._

_-Susan Richards and Johnny Storm._

"Deadliest superhero. Wouldn't it make them a villain?" pondered Tommy but to his dismay the team had already bolted off without him. _Really _slowly compared to him. "2 can play that game." he said to himself as he bolted off in a gust of wind.

* * *

Tommy reached the warehouse before the team. He didn't really want to go in first. He sat on the dirt, blowing up rocks.

"You get bored easily don't you Speed?" Eli asked him, hovering over him, casting a shadow.

"Well, I have been here for...let's see...half an hour!" I mean how long does it take to cross the city?" Tommy said.

"We don't all have super-speed like you." Kate pointed out.

"Come on, we don't have much time." said Eli, walking towards the warehouse.

"Time for what? It's not like their going to blow the place up." said Tommy.

"No, I mean that we should think about what we're going to do before we all barging in like a group of immature superheroes." Eli explained, but he was cut off by Kate.

"-In other words, Tommy you have to sit out."

Tommy ignored their bickering. They always picked on him and his faults. Eli had heaps of them, yet they all seem to scared to do anything about it. He walked straight towards the warehouse despite all the yelling from his team telling him to stop.

"Speed wait-" shouted Eli. Tommy kept on walking. "He never listens." he sighed.

The Young Avengers followed Tommy in. If someone was in there with a gun, at least he'd be killed first.

The wooden door creaked open. The smell of the warehouse was old and musty. The team slowly filed inside, not knowing what to expect.

Kate had her bow and arrow strung.

Teddy had already shifted into his alternate form.

Cassie stood beside Vision.

Tommy was ready to run away.

Billy had a glowing blue electrical field ready.

Patriot stood in charge.

But they all knew; Young Avengers didn't kill. And as Kate told Tommy 'Except for Iron Lad...that one time.'

The warehouse, as much as they could see, was empty. There was only a few crates here and there. Some of them open, some closed.

Tommy was the first to spot the figure at the far end of the abandoned, old, dark, warehouse.

"I don't know what we were expecting," said Tommy, "But it _wasn't _this."

~End~

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**Please Review! As I said, I've got 5 of these chapters written up so the next update shouldn't be far away.**


	2. I'm All Yours

**Project 2512125**

**Chapter 2: I'm All Yours**

**A/N: I sent in a character request for the Young Avengers a week ago, and fanfiction managed to put it up for me. So now all you guys can put the character option on all of your stories, and other can search by those characters too. Yay!**

_All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better._

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The Young Avengers stared. In front of the team was a young girl, around 16. She had dark brown hair with silver streaks that cascaded down her back. Her eyes were hidden to the group of teens. But their attention was drawn to how she was standing.

See, thing is, she wasn't. She was on the wall. _On the wall_. Her arms and legs were sort of stuck to the wall behind her. _Kinda like Spiderman. _thought Eli as he stepped forward in front of the team, showing his leadership of the young group of superheroes.

"Patriot." Kate warned as she pointed to the girl.

"What?" Eli asked her, looking at the girl again. "Oh." he gasped.

She wasn't just on the wall, now she had a raging flame in one hand a presumed force-field in the other. And her head moved up and her eyes were staring right at them.

Billy was amazed by them. They were a moss green but for some unknown reason they were part gold and another part purple. They were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. Apart from Teddy of course.

"What do you want?" said the girl in an acidic tone. "Leave or I'll burn you into dust. And don't think I won't." she mocked.

Teddy spoke. "Project 2512125?"

Her gaze softened as she jumped of the wall and landed perfectly without stumbling. The flame and force field disappeared in a quick flash as she walked towards them.

"She's hot." Tommy whispered to his twin. Her black Lycra suit hugged her body and Tommy had to admit, it was a _great _body.

Billy nudged the speedster to silence him. He didn't really want to know about his brothers fantasies.

"How did you know my name?" she asked Teddy. She was a good head shorter than everyone. But it didn't matter if she was short, cause by the looks of it, she would be very powerful.

Teddy stuttered, "Uh, well...It's complicated." he rambled.

"How did you find me." she pressed, "Who told you?"

"Susan Richards." Kate answered, stepping out from behind Eli, her bow and arrow left behind.

The girl slid to the floor and Tommy and Billy crouched down to her height. She was crying. "Why?" she sobbed.

Tommy put a hand on her shoulder, "Why don't you tell us your name?" he suggested, trying to be nice.

But she wasn't on the floor. Somehow she had bolted at a very high speed to the other end of the room. Tommy's eyes widened. "Your a speedster?"

Cassie and the team groaned. _Another _speedster, just what they needed.

"I'm way more than that." the girl announced her eyes now a silver shade like Tommy's.

Eli stepped forwards again. "Stop, all of you. All this is going nowhere. Now, Speed step back will you- your making me nervous." he ordered.

Tommy slumped back and stood next to Cassie. "Why is he in charge of us?" he hissed.

"Because he's our leader." she replied.

"And who's idea was that?" he drawled, "Let's see how the super-soldier handles the speedster. He can't even keep me under control."

"That's because you don't co-operate." Kate answered for Cassie.

The girl spoke, attentively watching them bicker. "_Your _the Young Avengers?"

"The name's horrible, I don't know why it stuck." mumbled Billy to himself. "Then I guess anythings better than Asguardian."

"Yes-" Eli said, ignoring Billy's comment. He knew the Young Avengers was a really bad name, but it somewhat...suited them. "Mrs. Richards told us to find-"

"Don't say that name!" the girl shouted, her attitude changed dramatically. "_Do not _mention Richards to me. Ever. Again." a flame appeared in her hand and everybody seemed to step back in fear.

"I'm sorry." apologized Eli, "Care to tell us your name?"

"Belle." she said,, quickly bolting to them again. Tommy was secretly pleased that another speedster was amongst them. He was getting lonely. "Or Project 2512125."

"I prefer Belle." remarked Tommy. "Project 2512125 sounds like some genetic thingy."

"Well, to Reed Richards I am." she grumbled. None of them actually paid attention to what she really said.

"Mr Fantastic." said Billt. "What did he do _this _time?"

"I wasn't aware that he did anything wrong in the first place." countered Cassie, trying to keep Reed's name pure.

"Oh. Backing up your Initiative buddies are we?" slashed Tommy.

Vision spoke. He was just of silent in the background. "Leave her alone."

"Shut up!" Kate yelled. Everyone including Belle turned to her. "Stop fighting all of you. What's in the past will stay in the past."

"Not in my book." grumbled Teddy.

"Same here." agreed Billy, backing up his boyfriend.

Belle shook her head. "Do you guys always fight?"

"No." Eli said. "It's just Speed. It's always his fault."

Belle laughed musically, "I can see why."

"Oi!" said Tommy. He looked at Belle who was looking right back at him. Billy could see the connection between them. Great.

"So, Belle. Susan wanted is to find you. Do you know why?" Cassie asked, changing the attention off her and her sort of betrayal.

Belle gave the Young Avengers a bitter look. She turned briskly away and headed outside.

"Belle!" Tommy called out after her. He would of chased after her, but he must of sensed her distress.

"Leave it. I need time to cool off." she called back, not turning her head to talk.

Kate looked at Eli. "Okay I'm confused, what the _hell_ is going on." she turned to Tommy, "And you just drooling over her like a sick puppy."

Tommy didn't react to her statement. "I don't know, there's something about her. I mean what person can be a speedster, torch things up, climb walls like spider-man and control force-fields?"

Teddy nodded in agreement "She really hates Mr. Richards. Like _really_ hates him."

"Why don't we just ask her? Susan was really worried about her." Billy added.

Vision was staring out into the distance. Cassie had her hand on his arm. "You okay?" she asked.

"Project 2512125," Vision said, he was searching his database. "A genetic project completed by Mr Reed Richards during the Civil War."

The team looked at him. "And?" Eli said.

"That is all." Vision stated. "My memory doesn't go any further. It must of been extremely top secret."

"Damn it!" Eli said angrily. "What are we even doing here?"

"Your here to help me." a voice said. Tommy and the others turned to see Belle standing behind them. The black of her boots glinted in the little light the warehouse had.

"Help you?" Kate asked softly. She walked to her and put her arm around her shoulders. Belle didn't shake it off. She was looking at the ground.

The warehouse door creaked open to show Susan and Johnny. Billy's eyes lighted up like a delighted fan-boy. It wasn't every day that 2 of the Fantastic Four were in front of you.

"Belle?" Johnny Storm whispered as he walked up to her. The Young Avengers stood back, trying to pick up anything that would give a clue to who the mysterious girl was.

"Leave me alone." she said as she walked over to Eli and Teddy.

"Why don't you want to talk to us?" Susan pleaded as she walked in after her brother. They were both in their Fantastic 4 costumes. "I told you to leave because Reed might of found you. Then I asked the Young Avengers-" she smiled at the team. "To find you. And it looks like they did."

"Why?" Belle snapped. "Why them?"

"Because they're going to help you," Susan said. "And we dont' know the extent of your powers. They can make use of them. Remember what happen with Tony? You blew up Avengers Tower for god's sake when you were _8_, then Wanda had to fix it."

_She blew up Stark Tower? _thought Billy , _And she's met my mother? Who is she?_

"So what, your going to leave me with them?" Belle shouted at them. "So much for taking me away from Reed-"

"That's not true," argued Johnny, "Reed thinks your dead. And we intend it to stay that way."

The Young Avengers stood watching Belle, The Invisible Woman and The Human Torch shout about something none of them knew anything at all about.

"You can stay." Eli said, shocking Kate, Cassie, Teddy, Billy and Tommy. "We'd love to have you on the team."

Belle looked at the others. "What about them."

"No complaints from me." said Tommy, grinning.

"We'd love to have you." said Kate, "And I'm pretty sure everyone feels the same way."

"Welcome aboard." announced Teddy and Billy, hand in hand. Susan and Johnny gave both of them a skeptical look. Were they imagining what they were seeing?

"You mean it?" Belle whispered. "You don't even know me."

"Well," Kate said, "We didn't know Speed either, we just broke him out of Juvie." she shrugged.

"And your point is?" Tommy drawled, rolling his eyes.

"Juvie?" said Susan in shock. Tommy shrugged like having a criminal record was nothing.

"And I'd like to know more about your powers; they intrigue me." Vision said.

"Um sure." said Belle looking confused. "It's a long story."

"And you can stay at HQ. Speed moved in with Wiccan the other day." Kate announced. "And it looks like you've already got a costume." she pointed out Belle's black Lycra suit and black boots.

"Yeah." she tugged at it sheepishly, "Johnny got it for me. It's a highly durable costume composed of unstable molecules that shift to accommodate whatever form I happen to be in."

"Really? Billy said. He turned to look for Susan and Johnny. "Where did they go?"

"They left." stated Belle simply. "So in other words, I'm all yours."

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**Please review if you want another chapter to read!  
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	3. Never A Normal Life

**Project 2512125: The Crusade of a Team of Heroes**

**Never A Normal Life**

_Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe_**  
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Belle had put on a pair of grey trackpants and a black t-shirt over her lyrca suit. She was sitting on the floor of the Young Avengers hq. The awkwardness hung in the air.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Eli called out from the kitchen. The team could smell something burning, and it didn't smell very appetizing.

Belle shook her head. "Um, no thanks."

"Good choice." whispered Tommy from the couch.

Kate poked her head from around the doorway. "Belle, your room's ready."

"Thanks." Belle smiled and joined Kate. And that left Tommy, Teddy and Billy victim to Eli's 'great' cooking.

Tommy sighed: "She's so hot." he brushed his white hair from his face.

Teddy slung his arm around Billy. Billy huddled closer. "In your dreams, she's way out of your league."

Tommy poked his tongue out at them.

Kate and Belle had come back laughing. The boys looked at her properly for the first time. Her toned body, her dark brown hair that was streaked silver. In some ways, she was irresistable.

"I think it's time we had introductions in place." Eli announced from behind the counter.

He walked back from the kitchen and joined them on the couch. Belle sat in the single chair, looking at them all. A delicate finger twirled a strand of her hair.

Kate looked at Belle. "You okay?"

Belle shrugged, "Yeah, I just don't know how to thank you guys. I don't even know your names."

Tommy stood up, walked up to Belle and offered her a hand. "Tommy Shepherd, Speed, and the coolest person on this team."

Billy shook his head in dismay. Will he ever learn?

Belle shook his hand. "Speed, I like it."

Billy stepped forward. "Billy Kaplan, Wiccan, and this is Teddy Altman, Hulkling." he announced. "And yes, before you ask- we're together."

"Aw." cooed Belle. "Your so cute."

Billy blushed slightly. "Thanks." he said sheepishly.

Tommy played along and grabbed Billy's cheek. "Aw," he repeated as Teddy growled.  
"Your adorable when you blush Billykins." he mocked.

"I'm Kate Bishop, Hawkeye." said Kate. interrupting Tommy's little act.

Belle raised an eyebrow, the name a sudden reminder of her past, which had yet to be revealed. "Hawkeye, as in like Clint Barton?"

"No," Kate corrected, "Cap have me the name and the bow. I'm the only one here without powers."

"If only I could share mine." muttered Belle. She received some looks from her new team-mates, but they still didn't get it. She was waiting for when they would; yet again, she didn't. She wanted to live a proper life until it all got taken away.

Eli spoke: "Eli Bradley, Patriot. And I'm the leader of this team."

Belle nodded. She looked around. "Is someone missing?" she said. "The girl who wears Ant-Man's costume except for the _really_ weird helmet which I never saw the point of, and the Vision?"

"Oh," said Billy "Right, _that's_ Cassie Lang. How do you know the Vision? We never really say his name when you think about it, unless your some Avengers nerd like all of us and probably remember the _other _Vision."

"Let's just say I was very well educated in the ways of the Avengers." Belle said. She put her head in her hands. "Ugh, I can't explain to you guys about my past."

"Why not?" asked Tommy.

"Because it's the _the past. _I've had a horrible- make that _terrible _upbringing. Tony Stark, Reed Richards-" she ranted, her personality switching yet again. "Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Cap, Hawkeye, Human Torch, Daredevil, the X-Men, Spiderman-" she cut herself off- her eyes full of tears.

"Are you alright?" asked Eli. He stood up and put an arm on her shoulder. "Do you feel like talking about it?"

Belle shook her head, gave an apologetic smile which lasted a fraction of a second and then she flashed out of the room. It took a few seconds to register what had happened.

Tommy sighed. "I'll go get her. She's probably out of the country or something." He sped off in a gust of wind, leaving the team _really_ confused.

There was silence. No one spoke for about a minute or two, until they realized what had just happened.

"What just happened?" Kate remarked. "Billy?"

Billy shrugged. "Not a clue. Somethings really up with her."

"Where is she?" asked Eli, worried. "Can you cast a locating spell?"

Billy closed his eyes for a second. The glowed the familiar blue. He opened them again. "Who the hell sits atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge...In _Australia_?"

"_On _the harbor bridge?" Eli whistled appreciatively. "Is Tommy there yet?"

"Yeah." Billy put his head on Teddy's shoulder. "Let's just hope he figures out what's wrong with her before it's too late."

* * *

**Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia**

"Belle." Tommy called out. He slowly stepped across the bridge, trying not to fall. It'd be one hell of a death, not a very noble one at that.

Belle knew it was Tommy. It had to be him. Her hand flew out to her left and a force-bubble appeared on either side of him.

He trusted Belle. Completely. He didn't know why, but he did. He quickly walked to her and sat down.

The warm, but not uncomfortable Australian breeze moved her hair around. Her eyes were focused on the Opera House, her legs were swinging in some sort of rhythm.

Belle cast a look to Tommy. Her eyes quickly flashed back their original emerald shade. "Tommy." she nodded curtly

"What's wrong?" he asked. He put an arm on her leg, "Please everyone's really worried about you. You just stormed off."

"I beg to differ." she scoffed. "When I tell you my _real _history, you'll send me back to Iron Man like _that._" she snapped her finger, and a small flame appeared, and her eyes flashed a soft, mellow golden colour.

Tommy gave her a quizzical look. "Are you alright?"

She paused, only slightly. "Can I tell you something?" she asked. "I want to tell you first- the others might not react the same."

He absent-mindedly traced his finger up and down her thigh. "Sure, go ahead."

She took a deep breath, preparing herself. "Everyone gets their powers somehow, if it's by accident or they were born with it, or it was given to them by some means. For me, it wasn't any of them. I was created for my powers only." she paused for a moment to look at the silent speedster sitting calmly next to her.

"I'm not getting it." said Tommy. This girl was a mystery in itself.

"I have no collection of my past," she continued, closing her eyes. Her past to hurtful. "I know nothing of my life before I received my powers. And the reason I don't is because of Reed and Tony. They wiped my memory...a 'clean slate' if you like."

"You know, I'm still not getting what your trying to say Belle." Tommy said, confused to what she was trying to explain. She wasn't making any sense whatsoever. She might as well have spoken in riddles.

"I was created." Belle said loudly, her voice was carried along in the breeze. "Tony Stark and Reed Richards _made _me. They altered my genes to suit their own purposes."

"Can you start that again?" A blue hover disc slowly appeared in front of the duo.

And without a doubt stood Billy, his hands outstretched with an electrical blue light. Next to him sat an uncomfortable looking Eli and Kate. Cassie and Vision, unknown to all of them, were off with the Mighty Avengers as part of their part time team alliance. Their cover up was Vision was going to spend time with But, with Cassie's family. Teddy in his Hulkling form flying overhead- it looked pretty cool from Tommy's point of view.

"Billy? What are you guys doing?" Tommy tried to say.

Billy brought the disc they were on closer.

"We came to understand." said Kate. "We only came on this disc cause Billy didn't think it was a great idea just to teleport onto the harbour bridge cause we might scare the hell out of you. Oh and Teddy wanted to 'stretch his wings' out." she added as the team joined Belle and Tommy on the bridge. "And now I feel sick."

Billy shook his head in amusement. "We're here in one piece aren't we?"

"Only just." Eli grumbled.

"So I suppose you want to know about me, right?" Belle said. The Young Avengers nodded. "It started when I was 7 or 8, I don't really know. I don't remember anything, only what Susan managed to tell me. But when I was 7, Tony and Reed started to experiment on me."

"Experiment on you?" Teddy exclaimed. "How did they even get you in the first place? Why you? Where were you parents?" his eyes were full of concern.

"Like I said, when I was 7, Reed and Tony supposedly killed or kidnapped my parents-" she had a tear in her eye. They all noticed her sadness at something she couldn't remember.

Eli had a sympathetic look on his face. "Belle- We're sorry, we didn't know."

She wiped it away and continued, the team still silent, listening to her story. "With my parents dead, Reed and Tony had full range- no-one to stop them with their crazy plan." Suddenly, Belle made her hand burst into flames, the Young Avengers yelped in surprise.

"What are you doing!" Kate said, eyeing the girl carefully.

"Who does that remind you of?" she asked. "I'm making this slightly easier to understand."

"Johnny Storm, Human Torch." said Billy proudly. Tommy gave him a look of disapproval, shaking his head.

Belle nodded, "And what about my speed?" she questioned. _Tommy would know this one straight off_, she thought to herself.

Tommy put his hand in the air eagerly. "Oh! I got this one!" he said in excitement.

"Yes Tommy," said Belle. "Who do you think?"

"Quicksilver." he answered arrogantly. "_Or _as Billy would say, my uncle."

Belle's eyes widened at Tommy's comment. "You and Billy are the Scarlet Witch's twins?"

"Debatable," said Tommy. "If we're being held at gunpoint or being chased by evil authorities, no. But otherwise, yes we are."

"Well," she muttered, "That explains a lot."

"But was I right?" Tommy asked her. "Quicksilver? This is game is really fun...sort of."

"Yes," Belle answered. She didn't know why Tommy thought this was fun. It was serious. "Speed like Quicksilver." She looked around her, trying to find another way to tell the team about her. "Okay, what about this." she stood up and walked across the thin platform. It was only thin, yet she danced over it like a ballerina, not once stumbling or flinging her arms out for support.

"Cool." Billy remarked in awe as she did a small cartwheel and quickly jumped down onto a lower bar, swung upside down.

She grinned and used her upper body strength to swing back up and plopped back down next to Tommy and Teddy. "So what does that remind you of?"

"Where is this going?" Eli said bossily, "What are you trying to tell us?"

"I know this one!" Kate said, over ruling Eli's complaint. She poked her tongue out at Teddy who looked like he was going to answer. "Judging by your acrobatic skills - either Hawkeye or maybe the Daredevil."

Belle nodded. These guys were good. "You guys are complete nerds. But yes, Hawkeye and Daredevil."

"Can you tell us why your doing this?" said Billy.

"Because," said Belle slowly. "They're me-" the team gave her a look that was either of shock or they still didn't understand. "I said that I was a genetic project didn't I. Well, Reed and Tony collected genetic material from superheroes for a quite a while. Either by force, or willingly."

She looked again at the stunned team, wondering if anything she had said made any sense at all to them.

They didn't even blink. _Well, a__t least they're breathing, _Belle thought positively.

She sighed, how was she meant to join this team and put up with their lack of deduction skills? It was like talking to a bunch of kindergarten kids.

She couldn't deal with the suspense they were creating. "Reed and Tony collected genetic material from superheroes," she repeated. "They got a blank canvas, or in other words, me, and transfer ed the material somehow, and...yeah." she finished, pointing at herself lamely.

"Oh my god." whispered Eli, "Is that why-"

"Why I am so like many superheroes? Why I nearly burnt your asses when you first met me?" she finished for him. "Yeah, that's why."

"Now, _that _is cool." said Tommy in awe.

Belle shook her head, they didn't understand. "No, it's not."

Billy was surprised, "Why wouldn't it be?" If he had the powers she had, he'd be so excited.

"My life has been hijacked Billy- I've never had a normal life. I've never been to school, I've lived under the protection of Reed and Tony for as long as I can remember. At first their plan went wrong. I blew up Avengers Tower, which no-one noticed cause Wanda Maximoff fixed it, I trashed Iron Man's armour with supernova flames- I was uncontrollable." said Belle, not looking the team directly in the eyes. She was ashamed. "I also suffer from multi-personalities."

"Then what happened?" Kate asked, she was intrigued by her story. "How did they 'calm' you down?"

"They needed to make me more human, less machine. So Wanda volunteered to provide a base genetic personality, which I don't think is even possible cause last time I checked, personality is very little based on genetics, from herself."

Tommy and Billy fell unusually silent. The girl in front of them had the same base personality as their mother.

"The Scarlet Witch?" Tommy said placidly. "Yeah, her personality is _so_ going to calm you down." he added sarcastically.

"Yeah," Belle said. "I know all of this is hard to deal with- that's why I'm going back to The Avengers Tower. You guys don't need a could be insane, wanna-be super villain to look after. I could change personality in an instant. Courtesy of Reed and Tony." she stood up. "I'll see you again...maybe."

"Belle!" Tommy said. A tiny hint of desperateness in his voice. "Don't do this."

"You _can _stay." Teddy sort of pleaded. "Just because you were created doesn't mean you can't join the team."

She once again, shook her head, the breeze whipping her hair from her face. "I couldn't do this to you. Reed suspects that I'm still alive- and he's probably blurted to Tony by now. Chances are that Tony will come to get me back, and you might get hurt."

"No." Billy said firmly, "We'll protect you." he announced. "We won't let Iron Man take you. There's 8 of us, including you...well make that 6 cause I can't guarantee what Vision and Cassie motives are-"

"In short." cut in Tommy. He stood up cautiously and faced Belle. "Don't go."

She smiled weakly. "Are you sure."

Kate nodded. "Yes, I mean Iron Man is some rich, big headed guy who made a suit of armor and claimed to be a superhero. How hard can he be?"

* * *

**Please review if you want another chapter.**

**Note: This story isn't going to be overruled by Belle, and she won't become some Mary Sue character. She's going to join the team, and a lot of disasters to follow. I'm writing chapter 9 right now and this will eventually tie in with Avenger Children's Crusade, but with a slight twist and appearances from many Avengers and other characters; first will be from of course Iron Man and Mister Fantastic. If you'd like a particular character (Avenger, X-Man or Villain) to feature in the story, just tell me. Chances are they're already going to be in it considering the line-up I have.**

**So, I'm going to change the summary of this story frequently as soon as another chapter is up. Also I changed the title altogether, Project 2512125: The Crusade of a Team of Heroes. It'll make more sense further in the story. So, review!**


	4. You Hurt Billy Kaplan, I Hurt You back

**Project 2512125: The Crusade of a Team of Heroes**

**Chapter 4: You Hurt Billy, I Hurt You Back**

_One day your life will flash before you eyes, make sure it's worth watching_

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* * *

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**A/N: I don't know how Kate is going to put a pool in the building, but hey? We can imagine right? Ohhh Teddy is pissed off alright. Maybe a bit too much...so ignore the slight OOC of Teddy when it does happen to occur. After all, he loves Billy.**

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* * *

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"Ouch." whimpered Billy in slight pain as the hard contact of Belle's fist hit him in the stomach. His hand slowly pulled up his shirt to show a already forming purple bruise. "Ow, that _really_ hurt."

Belle looked shocked at one punch to the poor witches stomach did. Her on and off super-strength could be fatal, and this is why she was so unsure to do Boxing in the first place. But as usual, Billy being the guy he was, refused to back down from a challenge. But, Belle warned him, and so it pretty much his fault. "I'm sorry. Really, really, really sorry. I-" she stuttered, flailing around nervously like she had killed someone.

He touched the bruise and groaned as a searing pain soared through him. "You hit like the Hulk."

She crossed her arms for a second. "That's like the worst insult there is. Can't you do better? Like 'you hit like Captain America' or something? Cause I don't like being compared to as the green guy on the Avengers, not that I _don't _like him, it's just-"

She shut up for a second when she realized she was rambling, (personality switch, probably one of the bubblier Avengers) and one of her team-mates, who had a _teen_-hulk for a boyfriend, was hurt, thanks to her.

"Teddy's going to _kill _me." she took off her boxing glove and rushed to the fridge. She returned quickly with a bag of ice. "Take your shirt off." she ordered.

He rolled his eyes and obliged, removing his shirt quickly and threw it on the couch. She handed him the ice-pack and he winced when the cold ice met his skin. "Ugh, it's too cold." he shivered.

"It's ice, Billy." she said bluntly, "That's kinda the point."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but don't worry Belle, Teddy won't kill you. I hope."

"Not funny." she muttered. "Teddy is _very _unpredictable. Especially when it comes to you."

Billy smiled and checked his watch, his other hand was pressing the bag of ice to his stomach. The whole team was training, hard. Every 40 minutes they changed partner and activity. They did this for at least 4 hours in the morning and then 4 in the afternoon. And that's how they spend their weekends. Training hard. Despite their parents claims that they should all pack bags and join Tony Stark and his bunch of fame-seeking heroes. Billy and Tommy were grounded (not like they listened. She just made some excuse to ground Billy, and for Tommy wasn't that hard to find_ some _reason.)

"20 more minutes," Billy sighed, "Put those gloves on again Belle- just don't hit so hard."

* * *

_One, two, three, breathe, _Tommy chanted to himself as he swam quickly down the length of the pool. Teddy was a good 5 or more laps behind him.

The sound of feet splashing and calm breathing of him and Teddy was quite eerie. Kate had totally redone the building. They even had a a tech room, which was pretty cool, it was almost like their own homes. They all had rooms, for when they wanted to stay over or take a break from the 'real' world. Billy and Teddy naturally shared one together, unknown to both their parents, and the others were all down the hall from each other.

As soon as Teddy had finished his respected laps, he jumped out of the water and headed for the showers without a word. He was just was dying to see Billy, someone to keep him from strangling the witches twin. Tommy, who had done double the laps because of his superspeed, waited very impatiently for him to finish.

See, Tommy is impatient, and he has a very devious mind- one that right now had though of some plan to prove he was still the same Tommy the team had broken out of Juvie. In reality, they didn't need to be reminded- people like him never change.

Slyly, he quickly went inside the bathroom and grabbed Teddy's clothes...and towel. Making sure there was nothing for him to cover himself with (excluding the shower curtain. There was no way in _hell _he would pull that down, despite how fast he could run away)

Quickly, without making a sound- he bolted for Billy's room. Placing them purposely on Billy's bed, he bolted back; only having been gone for 3 seconds. He hid behind the door, waiting for his plan to unravel.

The dripping of the shower stopped. You could hear the curtain slide slightly before hearing a groan. "Tommy."

But Tommy had already waltzed off. So Teddy had no other choice- he ripped the curtain down, wrapped it around his waist and headed for Billy's room. He wasn't going to walk through HQ naked was he? Who knows what Avenger could be walking through the corridors. And he knew exactly where Tommy would hide it. The speedster had no imagination at all.

Huffing, he found his clothes lying innocently on Billy's bed. Tommy had even gone to the extremes of folding them in a neat pile. He sighed and started to get dressed. He was nearly finished, about to put his shirt on when he heard something:

"Oh-" someone squeaked behind him. "Teddy?"

Teddy turned to see a skeptical looking Billy holding a ice-pack to his stomach. Billy's dark hair was all sweaty and stuck to his forehead, making him look hotter than usual.

Teddy didn't even try to explain why he was half-dressed (or half-undressed) in Billy's room. "Tommy." was all he said like it was a known fact that that one word explained everything.

Billy nodded. This sounded like something his twin would do. What wouldn't he do? He's blown up building's like it doesn't matter, so these were tiny innocent acts compared to that."Don't get too angry at him." he advised as he quickly rushed forward and pecked Teddy on the lips, lingering a centimeter from his face, his cool breath washing over Teddy.

Teddy was going to reply with some smart ass comment when he realized his boyfriend was holding a ice-pack to his bare chest. "What happened?" he asked, all suddenly protective.

Billy slowly took off the ice, suddenly fearing for Belle's safety. Teddy's eyes widened at the sight of the purple bruise in the centre of his boyfriends chest.

He growled.

Billy flinched.

If he could send a 'run for your life.' mental message to Belle, he would of.

"Was it Eli?" Teddy asked calmly, taking a look at it. He ran his finger along his skin, making Billy's stomach flutter at the contact.

Billy decided to tell the truth. "Uh, it was actually Belle-" Teddy's eye started to twitch. "-But it was an accident. She can't control her strength. Teddy, don't do anything stupid-"

"I'll just talk to her." Teddy said soothingly. He spun on his feet, and then started to head outside. "And then kill her." he muttered to himself as he headed for the pool.

* * *

**2 Minutes Ago {Billy and Belle}**

Billy lay down on the floor in defeat. Belle was good, really good

"What do you have next?" Belle asked the half-dead looking Billy.

"Laps, with _Tommy. _How unfair is that? Why does he even have to do laps, we all know he'll do a billion more than I can." complained Billy, re-applying the ice to his chest.

Belle smiled at his ranting. "Kate and I have swimming. I can't believe she managed to get a pool in here. You know, she kinda reminds me of Tony- funding the team."

"Yeah," agreed Billy, "Difference is that she isn't some crazed guy in tin metal."

"True." said Belle. She walked over to the couch and grabbed her swimmers and towel. "See you later, good luck with Tommy." she headed for the stairs, waving goodbye to the near-dead Billy on the floor.

"Thanks." he groaned, too much in pain to even raise his hand to return the gesture.

As soon as Belle had reached the bottom of the stairs, she was greeted by a very suspicious looking Tommy who was just in his board shorts, his white hair dripping water all over his body and the floor. Kate wouldn't be happy, she'd have to clean that now.

"See you later." Tommy winked. He grinned mischievously and headed off to his room.

_Right, _Belle thought _, I'm going to pretend I don't know what's happening._

She kept on walking until she reached the bathroom. By the looks of it, Kate had yet to arrive so she quickly got changed into her swimmers, peeling off her clothing and slipping the thin black material of her swimmers on.

Sue and Johnny had been here this morning, much to Billy's joy, at when they dropped off at least 5 whole, massive duffel bags of clothing for her. Sue had gone a little crazy, making sure Belle finally had the chance to live a normal life, not the one where she was kept in a controlled room, being tested, probed and experimented on at a daily basis. They even slided a small chunk of the Fantastic Four funding to her as well. This morning Belle spent a whole hour dividing her clothes into piles. One which was the one she was never going to use, and that pile mostly consisted of skimpy lingerie which Belle threw across the room without even thinking about whether she was going to wear it or not.

As soon as she had finished getting changed, she pulled her dark hair up into a pony tail as she tiptoed to the pool. At the edge, she slowly dipped a toe in, feeling the warm water tickling her skin. She stood up and dived in.

* * *

**[Current Time]**

Teddy was angry. How dare _she_ punch his beloved Billy with superhuman strength? That was his job, and it was to hit his arrogant twin. He'd never hurt Billy. Ever. Never even crossed a slither in his mind.

As he reached the pool, he watched in admirance as Kate and Belle yet again dived in the pool in unison, and swam perfectly, each stroke perfectly smooth. Both their dark hair colours showed out vibrantly in the water. But now wasn't the best time to be admiring the girls hair colour.

He stood at the edge of the pool, waiting for Belle to finish her lap. She had quite a lot of explaining to do.

Belle knew Teddy was there. And she knew exactly why. She actually thought it was cute how Teddy overreacted. As she finished the lap, Kate, who was next to her, tumbleturned. She spotted Teddy, but didn't think much of it. Belle stopped and looked at the over looming Teddy.

It looked like he was going to pick her up by the neck, so she created a forcefield around the pool. She wiped her hair from her face and looked up at him.

She grinned. "Hey Ted! Shouldn't you be training with Eli?"

"Belle. Remove the force-field _now_." he warned. He was slowly losing his patience with her.

Belle looked at him like he was crazy. "Uh, no. So you can strangle me?" he purple eyes glinting.

"No I'm not going to strangle you-"

"Yeah you are."

"Belle-" he said, "Remove it now."

A sulky looked crossed her face. "Aw, don't be like that. It was an accident. I didn't know I could hit that hard! Besides, Billy can heal himself anyway, he's just sucking up to you."

Teddy considered that. It was possible and most probably true. But he was still angry at her. "I'll go and get Tommy." he threatened.

Laughter escaped from her lips. "Seriously Teddy. What will Tommy do to me? That has to be one of the worst threats ever." she sighed, "Fine." the force field disappeared and her eyes went back to green. "Happy?"

Teddy's form slowly shifted to green and he went down a grabbed her by the neck. Anger was pulsing through him, despite his attempts to shove it back down again. Belle coughed from the lack of air. Belle could have burnt Teddy but she didn't want to hurt anyone else.

"Let me go." she choked out. She was dripping wet and her face was slowly turning pale. "I'm sorry I hurt you damn boyfriend. You're overeacting."

Teddy heard a bow stung. Kate was behind them, her Hawkeye bow strung. She kept it with her at all times. "Teddy what are you doing? It's Belle for godsake."

A whist of air blew around the three of them. The blur stopped and revealed Tommy in his tank t-shirt, joggers and shorts, looking at the scene. "Let go of her!" he said forcefully. "Teddy, what's wrong with you?"

Then Eli and Billy stormed in after. Billy looked shocked at what Teddy was doing. "Let go Ted." he said softly. "This isn't you."

Teddy heard Billy's voice and he realized what he was doing, like a punch to his face. _Shit_. He let go of Belle, shifting back to his original from. Kate gasped as she saw him drop her, lurching forward.

Tommy, before Belle hit the ground, caught her swiftly in a nano second with his quick reflexes. Teddy was frozen on the spot and he quickly rushed out of the room. Belle was pale, breathing, but clearly unconscious. "Belle?" he checked for her pulse. It was still beating, but very fast.

"What's wrong with Teddy?" Billy said as he joined Tommy. Eli motioned for Kate to put her bow down and they all went over to Tommy.

In Tommy's arms was a limp, and now unconscious, Belle. Tommy looked up at Billy. "Billy, go find him. I'll put her in her room. You guys can continue training. We still have half an hour left."

Kate nodded. "One thing first-" she said. "How did you know to come here? It was extremely lucky cause I wouldn't shoot Teddy, never. I'd never bring myself to do it."

"I noticed Teddy wasn't training with me," said Eli, "So naturally I asked Billy, he cast some locating spell and Tommy rushed off."

"I'll be back in a minute." announced Tommy as he headed out the door with Belle. Teddy has some explaining to do.

* * *

As he reached her room, Belle started to rouse. Her eyelids flickered and her body tensed at the unfamiliar hands holding her.

"Shhh..." he soothed, opening her door and shutting it behind them. "It's okay, it's only me."

She opened one eye and peeked at the speedster, "Tommy? Ugh, what happened. And why are you carrying me?" she asked as he placed her on the bed. He eyed the pile of lingerie in the corner of her room, and raised an eyebrow at it.

"You passed out," Tommy informed to her, his eyes dragging away from the pile, "And I was taking you back here until you woke up."

She leaned forward and quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek. Not a 'I love you' gesture, but more of a 'Thank you for saving my ass' one. "Thanks, Teddy's hands hurt." she rubbed her neck, which was adorned with red strangle marks.

Tommy was silent, still shocked from the kiss. He blushed slightly, the colour odd when compared to skin and white hair. "It's okay." he mumbled and turned away, embarrassed at his reaction to someone giving him a quick peck on the cheek as a _thank you_.

_Oh my god, _she thought. _Kate would crack up if she saw a blushing Tommy_.

He nodded to her and slowly headed outside her room, leaving her to rest.

But before he could reach the door, in 5 seconds Belle threw a pair or cotton shorts and a singlet over her swimmers, flashed in front of him before he left the room. She stood before him, arms crossed.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked, "If you're going back to the pool. I'm coming. I'd like to apologize for my snaky attitude to Teddy."

"He's in his room, probably with Billy," replied Tommy, opening the door for her. "We have 15 more minutes until lunch. Apparently our parents don't want us at home, since their sick of us going back and forth, so we're all spending the night here."

"Is Eli-"

"Ha, god no. Pizza today." he laughed. He motioned for Belle to walk forward. "Go and talk to Teddy."

"Maybe later," she muttered as they both headed down the corridor. "I'm going down to the pool to get my stuff." she put her hand on Tommy's shoulder. He turned at the sudden contact. "See ya at lunch." she said as she headed downstairs.

Tommy waved back, "Bye." he muttered as she watched her bolt downstairs at superspeed.

Belle quickly grabbed her towel and bolted back to her room. She came to a stop as she noticed Teddy and Billy's room. The door was slightly ajar, and she thought she better talk to him now, then make it really awkward at lunch. Her hand grabbed the cold door knob, opened the door, took a look, and then shut it hastily again.

* * *

"Where's Belle, Teddy and Billy?" asked Eli. He slung his arm around Kate as he brought a piece of pizza to his mouth. He cast a look over at Tommy who shrugged, clearly having no idea.

"Probably sorting out what happened back at the pool." suggested Kate, "Did you see how angry Teddy was? I was worried that I was going to have to shoot him." she added, horrified at the possibility of shooting her own team-mate. It might not of killed him, but the thought still made her feel uneasy inside.

Tommy went in to grab another peice of pizza...that now wasn't there. "What-" he looked to his left to see Belle perched on the couch, _his_ peice of pizza in her mouth. "Hey, start without me?"

"Sorry," apologized Eli. "Tommy couldn't help himself." Tommy grinned.

Kate looked around them, looking for the remaining team members. "Are Billy and Teddy coming?"

Belle choked her pizza and Tommy patted her on the back. She received looks from the team. "Oh. Their coming in a minute." she shivered involuntarily.

"You okay?" he inquired as he reached forward and grabbed another piece.

She stuttered nervously, "Yeah...I'm fine."

"Are you feeling okay?" Kate said worryingly, "You were unconscious before."

Belle was going to answer when the door creaked open to reveal a happy looking Billy and Teddy. But when weren't they _not _happy?

"Hey Belle," Billy said cheerily as he plopped down on the couch , followed by Teddy who cuddled up next to the witch.

Belle averted her gaze. She jumped up and muttered; "Drink of water." and she left the room.

"What did you do to her?" Tommy asked them.

"Nothing, we were in our room-" Teddy cut himself off as he hit his head in his hands. "Oh no, you don't think she-"

"Please tell me she didn't walk in on you guys." Kate groaned, "I told you before, you gotta lock the door when you do that."

"She'll be scared for life." Eli sighed, "I knew I was. Tommy, go and talk to her."

"Why me?" protested Tommy. "I'm hungry," he whined, "I'm a speedster with a _extremely_ high metabolism, I _need_ to eat."

Kate, Eli, Billy and Teddy looked at Tommy like he was stupid or something.

"Fine." he sighed as he trudged for the kitchen.

Kate rolled her eyes as she kissed Eli on the cheek. "Is he blind?"

"Yeah." Billy, Teddy and Eli replied in unison, grinning.

* * *

Belle was sitting on the kitchen counter, drinking a glass of water, drowning the image she had seen. She'd have to drink a lake to rid the image of Billy and Teddy, writhing around, sweating..kissing...

She heard someone enter with her superhuman hearing. Scared that it was Billy, or worse, Teddy; she quickly, put her hands on the wall, feeling the familiar gripping sensation as she climbed the wall, ending up on the roof, to see whoever entered the room.

Tommy walked into view, but Belle didn't realize it was him until her hunting instincts came into play as she jumped down and tackled the unsuspecting Tommy to the floor, landing on top of him; their bodies pressed together. A flame burst from her hand and it disappeared just as quickly as she looked at the guy beneath her.

"Tommy, oh shit." Belle swore as she jumped off the surprised and now bruised, speedster laying on the floor. He looked up when she offered him a hand as she grinned awkwardly, "Sorry," she whispered as Tommy grabbed her hand and hoisted himself up. "You scared the hell out of me. Heightened senses do that to you."

He rubbed his arm, "You were on the _roof_?" he exclaimed, glancing at Belle who had returned to the bench.

"Spiderman." she shrugged. "Are you alright?" A look of worry spread over her face.

"Yeah." he said. "But, question is, are you okay? You seem kinda...skittish."

She looked away. "Nothing." she tugged at her sleeves.

"You walked in on Teddy and Billy doing _it_ didn't you?" he laughed, his laugh died down as he remembered when he himself had done that. He never looked at the witch the same again.

"I'm scared for life." she stated. "I don't want to even talk about it."

"Who topped?" Tommy suddenly said with a burst of curiosity Belle hit him in the arm.

"Tommy!" she exclaimed, appalled. He had one of the most perverted minds. "He's your brother! You're disgusting."

"But that's what you love about me isn't it?" he grinned cockily, "So come on, answer my question."

She shook her head in disagreement with Tommy's attitude towards the issue. She jumped off the bench and headed back outside. Before she left, she looked over her shoulder and called out. "Teddy."

"Mmm, I thought so. Billy's to innocent-"

"Why don't you go and ask _them_. I'm sure they'd happily answer _that _question."

* * *

**Please Review!**


	5. Promise

**Project 2512125: The Crusade of a Team of Heroes**

**Chapter 5: Promise**

_You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try_

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"I'm not changing the schedule, Tommy-" said Eli as he crossed his arms at the speedster in front of him. "Just so you can run with Belle. I get the whole 'cause she's a speedster' bit, but seriously, I think Teddy can manage."

"It's not that-" he tried to say. He sighed and gave up. "Fine, put Billy in their instead. But if you want Belle and Teddy to be in one piece, swap someone around." said Tommy. "For their physical and or mental health Eli, change it. We don't want another incident like last time."

"Your worried about Belle aren't you?" asked Eli, eyeing Tommy quizzically.

"Actually," said Tommy, "I'm worried about Teddy. Who knows what Belle could do?"

"Fine. I'll swap Teddy and Billy around." huffed Eli, scribbling on his notepad. "Happy?"

Tommy headed out of the room. "Thanks Eli, Teddy will appreciate it."

* * *

"This whole entire concept is unfair," panted Billy. He was running after Belle. They all had one more training session until they had to do a patrol of the city. Also, it was Belle's first time under her new code-name Cascade (Tommy suggested short-stuff cause of her height, Billy was thinking along the lines of Ultimate, so Kate just ignored them all and gave her Cascade, which really meant nothing, but you can't describe Belle's powers in one word can you? And she didn't want Billy going all geeky and picking something stupid, which knowing the witch, was bound to happen sooner or later.)

"Quit complaining." said Belle. She was running at a fast speed, not even breaking a sweat. Billy rather her train with Tommy.

"I have a right to complain." he hissed, "Your a speedster, you belong with Tommy."

"Billy?" Belle asked as she made sure not to go too fast for the witch. They started their 3rd lap of the city block. "You okay?"

Billy snapped out of his daze, which was about Teddy "Oh yeah, fine. I was just going to say that Teddy's really sorry for what happened, we spent a while talking about it."

Belle coughed slightly, "I'm sure you did." she said, semi-sarcastic. The image was still stained in her mind.

Billy blushed, a deep red staining his cheeks. "Belle, did you...um, happen to walk in on us last night? While we were...um.."

"Yep." she kept her eyes on the pavement steadily, making sure she didn't fall over and make a complete fool of herself. "And next time-" she advised, "Lock the door."

* * *

"How come we don't have a cool battle cry?" asked Tommy as they walked the city streets, fully in costume. Like anything was going to happen anyway. "Like 'Avengers Assemble'?"

"If your thinking that I'm going to shout 'Young Avengers Assemble' you've got to be kidding Speed." said Eli. "And I don't know why we don't have one, we just don't _need_ one."

Billy kicked the stones on the pavement, watching a particular one bounce of the sidewalk and hitting Tommy on the leg. Tommy glared at him but didn't say anything. "This is really boring." he complained. "We haven't done anything interesting in _ages_. Last week we just walked around the city while Kate and Cassie discussed _nail colors_. We're superheroes, they don't have time for nails cause next week they'll probably be rolling in some intergalactic sludge." Kate folded her arms and looked straight ahead. "So why don't I just _create _a scene. Like I could conjure up a villain, and then we could fight him." he finished off, looking at his team mates hopefully.

"Are you that bored, that you actually consider altering reality so you can fight some bad guys?" laughed Tommy, slinging his arm around his brother.

"Don't hold your breath," said Belle, adjusting her mask which was like Cassie's only silver, which went with her black lycra suit which she kept. She wore her hair down, and changed her black boots to a pair of silver ones. Black looked too 'S.H.I.E.L.D agent-ish. "Iron Man might crash through our kitchen window tonight."

"Now, _that _would be facebook worthy," mused Kate, as she quoted her new supposed facebook status: " Iron Man just crashed through my kitchen window, then died cause Patriot offered him some of his homemade cookies."

"Oh ha ha ha Hawkeye," said Eli, slightly smiling at his girlfriends comment. "I wouldn't be surprised if he_ did_ die. Wow, Tony Stark dying cause I offered him a cookie. Let's try offering poisoned cookies to villains next time. It'll save a lot of costume repairs eh Hawkeye?"

Kate nodded, she spent most of her week repairing all the tears in the Billy's cape, getting new boots for Tommy cause the heel always burnt out, and just repairs for the team in general. It was the twins who got into the whole fighting bad guys stuff. _Must run in the family_. She thought. "We can call them The Cookies Of Death." she suggested. "Oh and by the way Teddy, why the hell did you rip down the shower curtain for? I have to replace _that _too."

"I wasn't going to walk through HQ naked was I? Billy wouldn't appreciate it."

"Appreciate what? That your showing us your _fabulous _body and not him?" Tommy mocked, removing his arm from Billy. "You've got a weird boyfriend." he stated, giving the duo a weird look. He waved to a passerby who in turn wolf-whistled.

"You don't have one in the first place."

"Of course I don't. I told you the first time, Billy, I'm into chicks. Stop trying to seduce me."

"Seduce you! I was clearly stating the lack of love in you life!"

"You don't need _love _to be a superhero."

Billy paused.

"...that's a good comeback."

"I know right!"

Despite their opposites, they sure acted like brothers. Too much for everyone's liking.

"Guys," Belle announced as they rounded a corner. They all turned to her, she hadn't spoken in a while. Actually, at all. Not since she was complaining about her code-name, which she adopted nether the less. "_If _Iron Man does come to take me back, please promise me that-" she swallowed harshly, "You'll let me go."

She hated that she had to break this news to them. There was really no other good time. For the past 10 minutes or so she was having a inner debate with herself about how she was going to break this to them. The 'tell the straight out' side won of course. She was never the one to hold back, that is, if she wasn't acting like Ms. Marvel or something.

Tommy's face was in shock, she wanted to go _back_? Back to the guy he ruined her life. What he could do with her, the ultimate weapon. "Belle!- wait _Cascade..._ You actually _want _to go with him?"

"It's best for everyone," she said simply, shrugging her shoulders for effect. "But please, promise me that." she begged, her silver streaked hair, blowing in the small gust of wind that had just blown past. "It has to be _this_ way."

"I don't agree with that particularly," said Teddy, sharing a look with Billy who nodded in agreement. "_But _I care about you, so if it's Iron Man you want to be with- fine by me."

"I don't _want _to go," Belle interrupted, "I _have _to go. You guys just don't get it. It's complicated."

Tommy looked pained, letting Belle go would be hard for him. "It's fine by me." They could all hear the strain in his voice.

The rest of the team mumbled their agreements. They didn't really want Belle to go over to his side, but Belle insisted on it, so they respected her wishes. She was a member of the team after all.

"Oi!" Tommy said suddenly. He pointed to their left. "A hijacking. Finally, I was getting bored." he motioned towards the store that was being held captive, "_Cascade_, would you like to run ahead with me? It is your first crime after all-" he was cut off as Belle had already sped off. Tommy left in an instant, leaving Eli, Teddy, Kate and Billy to run (really slowly compared to Belle and Tommy) after them.

"Do you know," said Billy, "how hot you get when your trying to run in black leather. I wish I went with my instincts and picked spandex. And Eli? I liked the sound of Young Avengers Assemble." Billy added as they ran, his feet pounding on the concrete as the sounds of alarms went off not so far away.

"Are you kidding me?" Eli exclaimed at his team-mates statement, "Uh uh, no way in _hell_. That more the reason for people to think we are just a group of Avengers Babies."

"Fine, _I'll _shout it out." suggested Kate as they eventually made it to the scene.

The thieves held a woman, who was the assumed shop keeper to gunpoint, which they couldn't really do anymore since Tommy took their guns away in an instant. The customers were in awe at the speed Tommy did that in. In the crowd, a little boy clapped his hands contently. Eli packed a punch to one of the guys faces, the sound of their nose cracking made Teddy want to laugh, Eli always did it in style.

A second later, Belle had trapped the thieves in a force field, her eyes were a electric purple. "What do I do now?" she asked nervously, her hands flickering in a purple light, "Can I let them go or something?"

In an instant, or a thought, Billy had the thieves tried up and gagged. A familiar siren rang as the police arrived on scene. A bit late. But they weren't complaining, at least they got to do _something_.

"I was looking forward to our battle cry," sulked Kate afterwards as camera's flashed around them, "Your such a spoilsport Patriot- your no fun at all. Live a little."

Eli ignored Kate's statement. How dare she suggest that he wasn't having fun. He looked over to the police cars surround them. "Crap," he growled, "The damn news reporters haven't met Belle yet."

"And we can't exactly explain her powers can we?" added in Billy, "I'm pretty sure Tony Stark watches the news."

Tommy gave his twin a quizzical look. "How do you know that? What haven't you told us Wiccan?" he joked playfully. He was never serious. At all.

Billy was going to shoot back some witty sarcastic comment but before he could say a word, the news reporters and journalists had surrounded them from out of nowhere, sticking microphones and flashed cameras. The only thought that was going through their minds was the fact that if Tony or Reed got a photo of Belle; and recognized her- they'd be expecting a visit from him sooner or later.

"Wiccan, Patriot, Hulkling, Hawkeye II and Speed, care to tell us about your new team mate? And where are Stature and Vision?, Why haven't you joined the Superhuman Registration Act? You're at a risk in public." a reporter pressed.

"Why do they keep on calling me Hawkeye the second." hissed Kate to Eli, "It's so annoying. I should've picked Hawkingbird or something. Not that I particularly like that name..."

Belle shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. She was slightly blurring on the edges. Tommy put an arm on her shoulder and whispered, "Calm down, Wiccan's gonna get us out of here before we're put live on tv."

"I'm not worried about _that_." said Belle, running a hand through her hair. "Well, I am a little. But the main problem is _that_." she pointed to a person walking over in the street.

"Who is that?" whispered Eli. The news reporter must have got the idea that no-one was going to introduce Belle, so they all left in a huff and the police took the thieves down town.

"Reed Richards," Belle said. She closed her eyes for a second, a flash of her past making her feel unsafe. "Crap, he's found me. And all you guys since he is one of Tony's best buds."

"Billy could you?" Eli said, worried. He didn't feel like fighting any of the Fantastic Four at this moment.

Billy nodded, glowed blue, and teleported them out.

* * *

Reed smirked. These mini Avengers were playing dirty. He needed Project 2512125 back before any of her other powers emerged. If Susan hadn't handed her over to the mini Avengers, she would still be frozen cryogenically- under his and Tony's supervision.

He picked up his phone, "Tony?"

"Reed? Good, where is she now?" Tony said urgently.

"Don't worry Tony, she's still with the Young Avengers. She's not going anywhere."

Tony huffed on the phone, "I'm going in. The armor's still restarting but-"

"What!" exclaimed Reed, "You can't go against them with a just restarted armor, you know what happened _last_ time." Reed checked his surroundings, for anyone watching.

"Stop worrying. I know my armor." reassured Tony. "Just calm down Mister Fantastic."

Reed heard a beep and a series of clicks and clatters. It sounded like he was putting the armor on.

"You still there Reed?" Iron Man's emotionless tone said, before he took his helmet off. "I'm going now."

"Oh okay. And watch out for Quicksilver junior." he warned but Tony interrupted.

"Speed?"

"Yeah that one. Apart from being blown up- he's kinda protective of her. From what I've seen."

Tony was silent. "Ah, I see, I was afraid that might happen. I told you we shouldn't of used a female. But don't worry he'll get over it. So any other warnings?"

"Wanda junior is extremely powerful so is the mini Hulk, Hawkeye, the young girl wearing Ant-Man's costume, cap junior and the vision. But really you should worry about Wanda and Pietro's looka likes."

"They have names you know Reed. But I knew that already. I've met them all before, Steve and I tried to shut them down. That was before..."

"Wanda jun- I mean Wiccan, is more like _her _than I though." Reed said, correcting himself.

Tony sighed, "I know. We all know. But we're here to get 2512125 back- not shut Wiccan down before another mutant decimation. And even if we did go near him, our throats would be ripped out by Hulking, which, in case you hadn't noticed, is his boyfriend. _And _even if we manage to lay a finger on Wiccan _or _Speed, Erik will step in and I don't want a fight. I just want our 10 years work back."

Reed nodded silently in agreement. It was risky, if you were Tony Stark, just walking down the street was risky. "Fine, go ahead and bring her back from their HQ, which is where they probably are right now. It's that abandoned Bishop Publishing Building."

Tony laughed as he was about to put the helmet on. Reed admired that armor, it was a work of pure genius. Exactly what Mr Stark was. "Not much of a Avengers Mansion is it? Well, I heard that their Hawkeye currently funds the team. Good luck to her, funding a team of superheroes can be quite challenging. And also slightly suspicious, ordering stacks of tights and capes cause the team you're in charge of always some way to rip of destroy theirs is a bit weird. Anyway, you fund the Fantastic Four, so you know what I mean."

"Tony- just go." Reed said urgently, "Their very clever, especially that Captain America junior- oops I mean...Patriot. He's extremely strategic. They're a pretty amazing team, someday, I can see them becoming the actual Avengers."

"You can join them If you want." Iron Man's tone said, the death of his team mate heavy on his back. "Meet me back at Avengers Tower in a hour. If it all goes to plan, we'll have her back."

"Don't arrest them Tony."

"I wasn't planning to."

"Why not."

"Because there's more important things than to lock people up. And this is one of them."

* * *

Belle paced around the room very quickly, her eyes flashing multiple colours as her body didn't know if it was going to throw a force-field or torch the place up.

"Belle," soothed Kate, who was situated on the couch, her feet on Teddy's lap. "Calm down."

Belle kept on pacing faster and faster until Tommy just had enough. He jumped up from the tables and stood in front of her, arms crossed. "Belle, please." he put his hands on her shoulder, forcing her to stop.

She bit her lip, her eyes stopping on a mellow golden tone, which really meant flame. "I can't." Suddenly she perked up. "Shit, he's coming."

Eli looked around, suddenly in attack mode. What was she going on about? Who-

_SMASH! _Iron Man came crashing through their meeting room window. He didn't pay attention to the bewildered team, just Belle. In a kinda predator way.

"Sorry to interrupt-" he said.

Kate cut in. "Oh, it's okay," she drawled sarcastically, "We don't mind if you crash through our meeting room window."

Tony nodded, which looked weird in the armor. "And you're not under arrest by the way, I'll let this time slip. Consider yourselves lucky."

Belle was frozen to the spot. Her now purple eyes were focused on what ever slit things Iron Man had for eyes. "I'm not going." she whispered as she put a force-field around her and her team mates. The purple not even flickering in weakness like her other one did. It was a full strength, unbreakable force-field. And one of those required a lot of concentration and emotion.

"Belle, remember what you promised us." Kate said wearily, looking at Belle.

"I know." she said faintly, "But I'll miss you so much and I-"

"2512125, we're leaving." Tony said, _Belle? What? How the hell did she get _**_that_**_ as a name. Well, it _**_is_**_ way easier that saying 2512125 all the time. I bet Susan picked it. I am so going to _**_kill _**_Reed Richards when we get back. _he thought, as he tried to figure out his next move.

He put a metallic limb on her shoulder as Belle couldn't hold back her emotions anymore and the force-field disappear, which meant she was going to break down soon enough.

Belle slid to her knees. Billy tried tried to comfort her, but his arm went right through her body. "What the hell?" he slid his arm back out again in amazement.

Tommy, Teddy, Eli, Kate and Tony all saw what had happened. Only Tony knew _why_. Heightened moments of emotions usually set off her gene structure, which in turn make her abilities more powerful. A blast of emotion.

"She's getting her other abilities, she needs to come back with me." re-enforced Tony again.

Tommy also tried to touch her, but just like Billy, he phased through. "From who?" he sneered, "Shadowcat?"

Iron Man nodded, "Your a good guesser...Maximoff." he decided to play clever, that was what he was after all.

Tommy growled, "So you steal genetic material from the X-Men now? What type of person are you? Wait...don't answer that."

"Sinister and I have an arrangement." he said., not giving to much away. If he did, these _kids _would take him down no doubt. "And I don't want to fight you, so give me the girl, and It'll all be over. If she doesn't join me, I'll have no choice to arrest you for violating the Superhuman Registration Act."

Belle walked over to the Iron Man.

"No-" yelled the team in unison, in a desperate attempt to keep her on their side. Belle gave them an apologetic smile.

"Do you _want _to get arrested?" she exclaimed in awe, "I'll go with Iron Man. Just try not to remember me that much."

Kate stepped forward and hugged her, Kate's head on he shoulder. She didn't slip through...luckily. It took a required amount of effort for Belle to keep herself from falling through the floor."We'll see you again?" she asked as she pulled away from Kate.

"Don't count on it." she muttered as she headed towards Eli. "See ya later Patriot." she did a knuckle-knuckle punch and grinned, "Hawkeye's a better leader."

Eli shook his head. "Still cracking jokes at a time like this?"

Billy ran towards Belle and pulled her into the tightest hug of all time. She didn't know if she could breathe of not. "Billy, I'm not going to war. I'm probably going to the Avengers Tower, which is like across the city, literally."

Teddy wrapped his arms around the pair of them. "Kinda awkward." she mumbled into Billy's chest, since she was a head shorter than him. "Your gay, remember?"

Teddy smiled and pulled apart, leaving Belle gasping for air. "Fun while it lasted eh Cascade?"

"Yeah," she said as she approached Tommy who had a mask of blank over his sadness. "Thomas Maximoff or Shepherd if you prefer it that way." she said softly as she hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Tommy didn't want to let her go. It wasn't fair that frickin Iron Man could take Belle, the girl he had just sort of, maybe, even a little, bit fell for, the girl who didn't know how he felt about her, away. He saw in her eyes a couple of tears forming. He wiped it away, admiring her emerald shade as they pulled apart. "I'll miss you, more than anything." he whispered hastily.

Iron Man wheezed some mechanical cough. "We're leaving _now_."

Belle quickly whispered in Tommy's ear as she headed out the door with Tony following her, his metal steps echoing in the silence that the team was draped in. "Sorry about the window." Iron Man called out as he and Belle disappeared.

Tommy stood still and tried to compose himself. He took a deep breath, swallowed and looked at the team. "We're going to get her back right?" the team nodded vigorously in return. Duh.

There was a knock at the door. The team turned to see Cassie and Vision at the door. "What did we miss? Wait- where did Belle go? And why did I just see Iron Man-" she babbled as she walked in and spotted the team's depressed and helpless looks. "And why are all you guys so... _sad?_"

* * *

"Welcome back...Belle." said Reed as the towers door's slid open to reveal Tony, his helmet off his armor, and Belle, in a costume similar to his. Probably from Susan or Johnny. Damn them He's going to explain to the siblings that stealing away a gene project and handing them over to a group of amateurs was a really stupid idea. "That is your name isn't it? Dubbed by my wife? Pretty clever, 2-5-12-12-5. I like it."

"Leave me alone Richards," she spat, folding her arms in distaste.

"How are your powers going?" he inquired, as he offered her a seat. She sat down grumpily in front of him and Tony. Like if she was in trouble at school or something. And by the way Tony and Reed were staring at her, she was in _big _trouble alright.

"Just great, no thanks to you. Can't you just let me live? I've been your guinea pig for years. It's not fair." she sulked, bringing her knees to her chest.

"You belong to us." said Tony. "Not the...Young Avengers."

Belle gave Tony a bitter look. "In my personal opinion, they're better that _the _Avengers. And do you know what? I'm leaving." she stood up but Reed stretched out and his extra long arm held her back.

"No torching, speeding, phasing, force-fielding or climbing. Got it?" Tony said angrily.

"Phasing?" pondered Reed, "Sinister's material actually worked? He's not the type of person who would help us...being him."

Tony nodded. "Yes I know, but it worked."

Reed's phone beeped. He picked it up, "Belle, I'd like you to meet someone." a figure appeared in a cloak, from behind the shadows. "And they'd like to talk to you..."

* * *

**Please, pretty please review! Up next...Quicksilver and Magneto...**


	6. The Lord of Magnetism and The Speedster

**Project 2512125: The Crusade of a Team of Heroes**

**Chapter 6: The Lord of Magnetism and The Speedster (Featuring Quicksilver and Magneto)(With Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic)**

_Win as if you were used to it, lose as if you enjoyed it for a change_

_

* * *

_

"Magneto?" exclaimed Belle, half in shock, half in amusement. Come on, it was _Magneto_. The guy who thinks it _cool _to wear purple and red. Together. Talk about costume choices...

The hooded man slid the hood back and took his purple and red helmet off, shaking his shockingly white hair that reminded her of Tommy. The white hair was actually genetic, both Erik and Pietro were born with it, despite their mutation. "Shouldn't you..I dunno. Be blowing some place up?"

"Just like Pietro." he stated simply, sighing. Tony and Reed nodded in agreement. Spot on he was. A little mini Pietro in every way. Less like his sister.

Belle crossed her arms, her emerald eyes blazing. She _really _didn't want to talk to Magneto, Iron Man and Mister Fantastic right now. She wanted to go back to her team. The only people who didn't want to ship her off to be a weapon. Unlike X-23, the female clone of Wolverine, she had emotions, she had feelings, but she was still a weapon, not made to live a life with others. She was made to be the weapon every side wanted, someone who could absorb powers by genetic codes and use them, attack who they wanted. Despite her own feelings. "What do you mean?" she demanded, her bitchy side making an appearance.

Tony piped in. "Your attitude."

"Shut it, tin head." shot back Belle, sneering. "Now what do _you _want, Magneto?"

Erik prepared himself, this girl, unknown to her, was fragile. If he said anything, or went too far...she'd snap...and most probably blow the building up. Kinda like last time, from what he'd heard. "I'd like you to join my new brotherhood of mutants. Not doing bad, just protecting the Mutants that haven't got their powers back in Genosha. You'd be surprised the state they are all in. None of them want to go to White Bitch and her institute either."

_I wonder what happened to the last brotherhood, _thought Belle with an inner smirk. She knew what Magneto was like with people. "Ha, are you kidding me? Not in a million years, and wasn't your _son_ part of the original one? I'm not even a mutant in the first place, so..."

Erik was slowly losing his patience with her. He wondered if it was Pietro's personality she had inherited. Because she was acting nothing like Wanda. "You don't need to be mutant, and you know Quicksilver left me for the Avengers many years ago."

"Duh," said Belle. "He _hates _you. I thought you would've got the message by now after he tried to kill you countless times."

Reed was watching the bicker, a lot like Erik did with Pietro. But with them, it was a fight to the death. How would you feel if your father lied to you about being your dad, while you were a mutant terrorist? "Belle, stop it."

"Nah, it's fun." mocked Belle. She poked Erik's forehead, which he blinked at. "He's such an _easy_ target."

Erik ignored the poke, raising an eyebrow. "It won't be anymore. You're very talented aren't you?"

"No shit," she drawled sarcastically as she rolled her eyes, "I bet you say that to _everyone. _Some sales pitch, Magneto."

Tony was appalled. "Excuse me?" her attitude was disgusting. Probably from Johnny Storm. He really needed to talk the Fantastic 4 about this. Reed was being easy with them.

Erik put an arm on her shoulder. "You're coming with me."

Belle raised an eyebrow, before smirking. "You've got to catch me first." she stood up and sped to some room in the tower. She wasn't going to leave just yet, and that wasn't because she actually couldn't get out.

Reed sighed after a minute or 2, "Sorry, Erik, she was just with the _Young _Avengers. Tony had to pick her up. Quite a emotional farewell, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Tony agreed, "With the mini-Quicksilver and all. You do know about them don't you?" he asked Magneto with no hint of seriousness. "Wiccan and Speed?"

"Yes." Magneto said distantly, the children of Wanda.

Dr Nemesis had shown him the Young Avengers, and when he told him about Wiccan and Speed, he told him that they could be his grandsons. Magneto knew they were. Thomas with his striking resemblance to Pietro, William with the supposed similar powers to his dear Wanda. Wanda had extreme magical powers, but he knew that not even she could create a human soul. Logan retorted with that he tried killing his son the last time, resulting in his daughter rendering nearly all of mutantkind powerless, therefore the Avengers won't be happy with him. He simply wanted to prove himself worthy of them, not to harm them.

"Why was it...emotional?" he asked eventually, battling his thoughts in his head. He was going to change his ways. He was going to be the father, (and grandfather) he should've been from the start. And it wasn't going to be easy, he knew that. With his reputation at hand, even getting everyone to forgive him and not see him as they bad guy was a effort on it's own.

"Speed has a thing for her...I think. I don't really trust Reed's perception on things. He's always so technical." stated Tony, talking a sip of his coffee.

"Oh, thanks Tony." Reed muttered.

Erik nodded. "That was only thing Pietro had trouble with. Girls." he ran a hand through his white hair. "Are you going to take her to Xavier if it doesn't work with me? The X-Men would happily take her in. It'd save you the destruction of Stark Tower. You don't know what'll happen next. And you can't keep her here, she's getting kinda on the rebellious side. Takes after Tony I suppose. "

"She'll go with you." reassured Reed, agreeing with Erik's comment. "The problem is getting her. She's nearly Quicksilver fast, the gene material was quite watered down, she's not _that_ fast. But she's fast. And the only people fast enough that I know is the almighty Quicksilver himself and Speed."

Tony had a thought, a pretty good one in his opinion. Hey, all of his ideas were genius. He was Tony frickin Stark. "We _could _contact Pietro, he could help with her powers a bit."

Erik bit his lip. "You call Pietro. I'm leaving." he turned on his heels and stormed off without another word, bending the walls to make his exit. If Pietro saw him; he'd be dead for sure. No hesitation at all on his sons part.

"Do you know how to contact him?" Tony asked Reed. "I mean he's _Quicksilver_ for god sake. The guy who we all hate cause this is pretty much all his fault. The Civil War, our Secret Invasion, our mutant decimation. Everything. He's probably in hiding somewhere."

"He has a mobile you know." smirked Reed. He took Tony's slim silver phone off the table, slid it open and skimmed through it. "He's even in your contacts, how could you not know?"

"Pepper does what she wants." yawned Tony, kicking his feet up on the couch, totally not caring about the situation.

Reed scrolled down to _Maximoff, Pietro _and touched call on the screen, brought the phone to his ear and he waited for the worlds fastest person to pick up.

* * *

**Somewhere…**

Pietro's phone rang.

He sighed, he could never get away from anyone. He wanted to be alone. Pissed off, he checked the caller ID and nearly had a heart attack when he read 'Tony Stark' on the screen.

Without even saying hello, he answered it. "I'm not joining the Initiative, Tony." he waited for him to answer.

"It's not Tony," the kind of familiar voice said. "It's me, Reed."

Pietro groaned. Great. When Tony Stark and Reed Richards were in the same room, their not having a party eating cupcakes and sipping lemon tea, they're probably plotting world domination. And after the Civil War; that's actually a pretty good reason, and most probably true.

"What do you want? I don't have time to put up with any more of your crap. If you screwed up, you fix it." he said, rudely.

Reed hesitated, Pietro wasn't in a good mood. When was he ever? His sister ruined reality as they all knew it. He had a reason to be pissed off.

"Spit it out Mister Fantastic," shot Pietro. He wanted to get back to his book, books took him away from the disaster his life had become. And sometimes, books weren't enough.

"We need your help." said Reed. "That's it, no strings attached."

"Really?" Pietro drawled, "Now that you've said it, what's the catch?"

"It's a job that you and only one other person can do."

"Well, then ask them! Leave me alone." Pietro shouted angrily.

"He's 16 and hates our guts."

"Well, sorry to break it to you. Apart from me not being 16; I'm in the same position. You've heard what's happened to me haven't you? All the shit I've been through? Ask your wife, or Johnny about it." he muttered bitterly.

"Pietro, we need you to chase after someone for us, that's it I swear."

"Who is it? Some terrorist? Wait- My _father_?" said Pietro, mockingly.

Reed paused. "A genetic mutate with super speed?"

Pietro knew who it was. Of course he did. All the Avengers knew, all of them feeling sorry for her. You would, of you knew what she's been through. "Did she run away again? I told you the precautions of giving her super speed. You _never _listen."

"Yes she ran away...sort of. Just...get here now!" he ordered.

"Avengers Tower? Or that dump of an Avengers Mansion that Tony still keeps and he sold to Luke Cage for a dollar to make a new team of Avengers with?"

"Tony's Tower. Ugh, your so stubborn."

Pietro stood up. Funnily enough, he was already in costume, "Keep your spandex on." he ended the call, threw his phone on the couch and sped off, wondering what powers 2512125 (he had to admit it was a stupid name but if you added 2 and the 5, then 1,2 and 1, and 2 and 5 again, you got 7 3 7. Which was the date the project was finished. The 7th of March, 2007. Which was like her birthday in some sense.) had pumped into her _this_ time.

* * *

Tony and Reed headed towards Belle's room. The plan was to get Pietro to catch her and try to calm her down. Then Pietro could leave and off to Magneto she went, to help with Genosha and all the depowered mutants. It was kinda of a rough offer, but there was no-one who could really use her gifts.

Tony checked his watch. "How do you think Maximoff's going?"

Reed shrugged, turning left at a corridor. "She's 17, and his dad's a terrorist. I think he'll manage."

Tony's hand froze on the door knob. "Well, let's see."

He opened the door slowly. They both looked around the large room to see...nothing. At all.

"What!" exclaimed Tony, looking around the room. "Where is he?"

A green blur flew past them, followed by a black one. When you looked carefully, the blurs flew around the room; knocking over chairs and blowing the curtains in and out.

"PIETRO!" shouted Tony. One of the blurs stopped, the other still speeding around. "What on _earth _do you think your doing?"

Pietro, in his green Quicksilver costume threw his hands in the air. "What do you _think_ I'm doing? She's frickin fast you know."

"Pietro," said Reed, running a hand through his hair, "That's why we asked _you _to catch her, Just try and make her stop, she's being difficult."

"You know the reason she's like this is because how you treated her." ranted Pietro. "She's been trained to be a weapon, then she's had a taste of what a perfect life could be. Then, like that, she's thrown into that horrible world, so I can understand why she's like that-" he pointed to Belle as she hid around the corner. "I've been in the same position. I've been working under Magneto not knowing that he's really my father as a terrorist. I joined the Avengers, and then I lost my powers, stole from the Inhumans, I took my daughter away and then I ended up getting divorced."

"_Pietro_," complained Tony, "Don't work your self up about the past. You had good intentions, you were just trying to save Wanda-"

"And look where it's got me!" argued Pietro. "I won't let you do this to her. Do you know that what your doing is wrong on so many levels? Half The Avengers agree with me."

"What _we _do," rebutted Reed rudely, "Is none of your business, _Quicksilver-" _he drawled, "Now, make her stop running so we can hand her to Erik-"

"No," he gasped, "Your not taking her to my father, are you crazy? He'll turn her into a weapon like he did with me and me sister. You wouldn't to that to some poor innocent girl which you manipulated so you could have the perfect weapon! To what? Be on top! What use is that to anyone!" he yelled at them.

Belle was leaning on the wall, trying to ignore all the yelling around her. Pietro, reminded her _so _much of Tommy that it hurt, was trying to save her, while Iron Man and Mister Fantastic were trying to cart her off to some genocidal terrorist.

A door slammed. To her it sounded like Tony and Reed had left, clearly fed up with Pietro's attitude. Belle heard a sigh.

"You can come out now, Belle. Just don't _runaway_. It never helps." Pietro said softly. He heard what Susan had called her, and it sounded nice. Belle, pretty, simple and sweet.

Belle slowly walked out from around the corner. She was still in costume and she joined the speedster on the floor. "Sorry for before-"

"No, it's fine." he looked up to see the young girl. He last saw her when she was nine, and she hadn't changed a bit. Sure, she looked older, but to Pietro, she was still the young, innocent girl who's life was majorly screwed up.

"Why did you come here?" Belle asked Pietro. "I haven't seen you for at least 8 years."

"I had to catch you." he simply stated, "Reed and Tony wanted me to make sure you didn't do anything stupid."

"Typical," she scoffed, "Make others do their dirty work."

"But I want to know why your giving them a hard time. You've always been here, why are you suddenly making trouble? I know they treat you like crap." said Pietro.

She laughed at him. He had no idea. "Pietro, It's been nearly 8 years. You've missed quite a lot. For starters I have way more powers that I started with, it's getting harder to control them." she confessed.

"I see you've inherited my speed. Well at least there's 2 of us, so I guess-"

"3-" cut in belle, "You, me and Tommy."

"Tommy?" Pietro said, confused. Then he realized. "Thomas Shepherd...Speed."

"Maximoff." she corrected, "Wow, he sucks at hiding his identity. I mean he wears _goggles, _cause the white hair kinda stands out. Oh and he's your supposed nephew."

His face was one of shock. "My...nephew?" he stuttered. "You- you mean Wanda's twins?" he shook his head. "But they were destroyed by Agatha Harkness, that's why she lost control." he was lost for words, what was Belle trying to say? Twins? Wanda! His mind was spinning. He put his head in his hands to breathe.

Belle grinned, "Reincarnated souls. Oh come on, you've seen the Young Avengers haven't you? Wiccan and Speed. The witch and the speedster, just like you and Wanda. You know when you think about it, he is kinda like your son...but that would mean you and Wanda...and that'd lead to incest...and that'd be wrong..." she babbled on.

"I...I don't know what I should be feeling," said Pietro. "Wait- does Magneto know about them?"

Belle bit her lip. "Um...yeah he does-" Pietro stood up. "But Billy is way more powerful that Magneto- he'll hold his ground if Magneto tries to kidnap them, which I doubt, he's going to make an effort this time. He's going to try and pull his family together again. You should give him a chance. He's with the X-Men now you know. But still, Billy will kick his ass if needed. Like majorly."

He smiled, "Billy? As in William?"

"Yep." she replied. She loved to see the smile on his face, his life needed something to smile about. "Do you want to meet them?"

"More than anything." he said, not hesitating. "They're the only sort of family I have left that isn't evil or mentally unstable. You actually are practically family to me. After all we do share the same genetics." he winked and Belle laughed faintly.

"Yeah, I suppose of you put it like that, I have a pretty big family huh?"

Pietro opened his arms. "Come here." he said softly.

Belle shuffled over and he slung his muscular arm over her shoulder.

"I won't let Tony or Reed take you away," he continued, "Whatever it takes."

* * *

"Where would he go?" Tommy paced around the room. "Avengers Tower? The Mansion? S.H.E.I.L.D? Cause he seemed kinda shifty and-"

"Xavier's Institute?" offered Eli. Kate gave him a look which shut him up immediately. His girlfriend was a tough one.

"I could just cast a locating spell you know." Billy suggested. He sighed, "But yet again, no-one listens to me. I should be mute."

"I listen." said Teddy, his head on the witches shoulder. "But I think Tommy's thinking ahead of himself."

"Tommy," said Cassie, not looking up from her book as she flipped a page. "Calm down. Tony and Reed aren't going to do anything bad to her."

Vision spoke up; "You should listen to Billy, Tommy. It'd save a lot of time and mistakes. You cannot afford to make mistakes, your identify is hanging by a loose thread."

Tommy sat down in a huff. "Billy, please?"

"I was going to do it anyway, but here it goes." he closed his eyes as usual, and they went their familiar blue. "She's in Avengers Tower." he said after a minute.

Tommy stood up. "What are we waiting for? Let's go." he begged urgently.

"Wait." interrupted Billy. Everyone gave him a look. "She's with someone...not Tony or Reed...she's with-" he gasped and opened his eyes.

"With who?" pressed Tommy.

Billy smirked, "You guys are not going to believe this. She's with _Quicksilver_."

Tommy arched an eyebrow a Billy. "Seriously. _Quicksilver_? Like our supposed uncle Quicksilver?"

"Yep, look at this." Billy opened his eyes and somehow projected what he saw onto the screen in front of them.

Belle was with, as Billy had confirmed- Pietro Maximoff, their uncle. Supposedly. Which ever theory you supported.

"...Don't worry," they heard Pietro say to Belle. They broke apart. "From how you make the Young Avengers sound. They'll come back to rescue you."

"Are you sure?" Belle asked, brushing her silver streaks away from her face.

"Yes." Pietro confirmed, "If Wiccan and Speed are anything like me or my sister; they'll try anything to make things right."

* * *

**Just to be clear, Quicksilver's gonna be sticking around for a while, that is until they find Wanda, if they ever do. He has to be one of my favourite characters in the Marvel Universe. This is so boring posting these chapters when right now I'm writing chapter 9 and 10, which are way more interesting than this...anyway, please review and tell me what you think of this so far...**


	7. A Bittersweet Reunion

**Project 2512125: The Crusade of a Team of Heroes**

**Chapter 7: A Bittersweet Reunion (With Quicksilver)(Featuring Nick Fury)**

_Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is a progress. Working together is a success._

_

* * *

_

"Speed, stop blurring. Your attracting too much attention, and right now, attention is something we really don't need."

"So, what's your plan then, Patriot?" Tommy said, slowing down as the team headed/stormed through the Manhattan towards the over-looming tower ahead. The Sentry's watchtower that was positioned on top of the glass building stood out in the clear blue sky sky that was pounding a 30+ degree heat that day. Eli and Billy were starting to feel the first wave, as they were wearing leather. "-make an entrance and a complete fools of ourselves as we go crashing through the windows of Avengers Tower?"

Kate drew her bow and arrow, her eyes set on the tower. "No," she corrected sarcastically. "We're going to ask Tony Stark if it's totally cool with him if we break into his own personal tower and steal Belle from him. What do you think?" she shook her head. "Seriously, your even stupider than usual..." _And I know why._

There were a few whispers in the crowd of civilians as the team, fully in costume ran through the superhero city of New York. The flashes blinding their eyes were the flashes of camera's, but the team stormed through, wanting to get Belle back before anything happened to her. She was important to all of them. In more ways than one.

When the team got to the tower. They stood there, looking up, trying to figure out what to do. This was Avenger's Tower. _Avenger's _Tower. How where they supposed to prove that they were heroes when here they were breaking into their building? Ah, well.

"...Wiccan, can you...um-" Tommy flailed his arms around trying to show his brother that he wanted a hover disc to get him up higher. It seemed like the only sensible and clever option. Wow, he was starting to make _sense._

"Right on on it, Speed." Billy said as he created a blue disc out of thin air. He eyed the people behind them. "Hurry up will you?"

They clambered hurriedly aboard whilst Teddy's green mutant wings came out behind him and he hoisted himself into the air. Rescue Mission, Part 1: Get into the building _without _getting caught.

* * *

"There's no other way." Tony stated, slamming his hand hard onto the table in Reed's office. "Just get some god damn anesthetics and keep her out. She's not going to make it easy." he ranted, pacing around the meeting room of The Baxter Building. Reed was sitting on the chair opposite, watching the genius go crazy over this whole fiasco.

"It's inhumane!" Reed protested, shoving the pile of complicated papers he had been holding into Tony's face. "Look at the stats we got from her DNA,- the current version that is- She's breaking apart from us, sooner or later we're going to have no control over her and her structure, her DNA is setting, after a month at the most it'll be done. Tony. Face it, she's a- a _Young_ Avenger, and we've lost her. It was interesting while it lasted. I learnt a lot and-"

"No!" he shouted. She was _his. _She was important to him, and Reed didn't _understand_.

She was like his daughter, but she never thought of him more than her evil kidnapper.

And if she ever found about the truth about her real parents, the 2 parents who died because of a simple mistake that he made, she would kill him. And succeed. It was as simple as that. But she didn't understand, that Reed and himself had saved her. She was an orphan, and she had no relatives. He took her in, and yes, he did some terrible things to her, but she was never in danger. It was the Avengers. They made a deal out of it, wanted her to grow up normally. As if she ever could. She was doomed with a complicated and disastrous life as soon as she was in the bundle of blankets in his arms as he walked into Avenger's mansion all those years ago. Everyone thought it was his illegitimate child or something. Clint had made some stupid comments. But they accepted her into the team like their own child, and it was okay until Sinister came into it. Now, he was sorry.

"I'm _not_ giving up on this. Reed, just get the needle!" he ran a hand through his hair. "This is so screwed up! Why didn't we keep her in suspended animation like I suggested when we first started this? WHY!"

Reed took another look at the stats, his brow scrunched in confusion. "Fine." he muttered inaudibly. "You're going to seriously regret this, Tony. I'll go get the needle, but you need some serious therapy of some kind."

"Don't tell me what to do! I _hate_ this!"

* * *

"They're going to drug me out." Belle whispered silently to Pietro. She had her ear pressed hard up against the door, her superhuman senses warning her of what was to come. Her life was so screwed up.

"Don't worry, Belle." Pietro put a hand on her shoulder, he could feel her heart racing underneath her thin costume. "You can hear see the crowd outside. I assume that it's your team. Even The Avenger's didn't get that much attention when they walked down the street."

"I hope it's them," she said. "This place sucks."

"It's not that bad," Pietro said. "If you got rid of the 'Hall of Tony' downstairs, I think this place is pretty cool."

"I suppose." Belle said, thoughtfully. "Hey, Pietro?"

"Mmm?" he lounged back into his chair. "Yeah?"

She sat up straight. It was a perfect plan. Oh, she was _good._ "Do you want to stay with the Young Avengers for a while?" she asked, a grin on her face. She could fix all this. It all depended on Pietro. "We can all go and try to find Wanda together, if you want."

"We'll see, I don't want to put you guys in danger-"

"They're going to do it regardless. I overheard Billy and Tommy talking about it the other night, I could hear them from my room."

"In that case...I don't see why not." Pietro said. "What are they like? The twins" he asked. He wanted to know more about them if he was going to try and rebuild his family.

Belle shrugged, a smile on her face. "Just like their family I guess."

"And that means?"

"Their just like you and Wanda."

Wanda. His sister. The sister he loved, the one whom he protected with his life. He wanted to find and help her, of course, that was the most clearest question that anyone had ever said to him. He just never knew where to _start_. He could run to every house in the world, searching for her, but maybe she was waiting for someone else to find her. Maybe she didn't even want to be found. So this could be the start to his new life. Reunite with her 'sons', find his sister, and-

SMASH!

_"AVENGER'S PROTOCOL INITIATED..." _The sound of glass shattering all over the floor and an alarm beeping annoyingly made Belle and Pietro jump and turn their heads, interrupting their deep thoughts.

"Ouch," Billy said, back turned to them. The Young Avengers hadn't noticed that Belle and Pietro were in the room, all of them looking at Billy. "That hurts. I think I'm bleeding," he continued, looking at his arm. "It _is _bleeding, why isn't anyone speaking?"

Belle crossed her arms, a smirk on her face, as she watched all the team not notice her presence. They were so cute. "You tell me."

The team whipped around, smiles of shock on their faces. They had got to her, without getting caught. Well, that was always a good sign. Now the alarm was going off, the next stage was to get _out._

"Belle!" Tommy exclaimed. Before Belle could say a thing, Tommy had her wrapped in a hug, his arms tight around her surprised body. "Oh, my god, it's you." he whispered, looking into her eyes. She raised an eyebrow, clingy much.

"Hey, guys." Kate said slowly. "You do know that _Quicksilver_ is standing right behind us."

Belle who was still in Tommy's warm, yet kinda awkward embrace. "Oh, yeah about that. Young Avengers, Pietro Maximoff." she pointed the team and then at a very silent looking Pietro who was just standing there, taking the scene in. "Pietro, Earth's next generation of mightiest heroes."

Billy was looking at Pietro so intensely, more than Teddy had never seen before (except for when his own shirt was off) "So, your our...um...uncle." he managed to say. His recent dream of finding the Maximoff Twins was closer than he thought was possible, because right now, his uncle was standing before him.

Pietro nodded stiffly, they looked like Wanda so much up close. He had only ever seen them on tv, but even then, the resemblance to his sister was startling. "Looks that way-"

"Wait-" Belle said urgently, her eyes flickering to each hero. She pulled herself off Tommy almost like she didn't want to. "Tommy, get off."

"Huh?" Tommy said. "Why?" He looked hurt. Wasn't she happy to see him? Did she even _want _to be saved? Than this would be a complete waste of time.

She pointed to the door like he was dumb. "_Because_ if I need to, I can't make a force-field that could save our lives when you're all over me. I mean, seriously? It's been an hour?"

Tommy shrugged dismissively. "I missed you."

"Yeah, I can see that." she punched him in the arm light-heartily.

"Vision!" Pietro said, the alarm getting irritating. The android turned at the sound of his name. "That _is_ your name right? Geez, you just like the old one, except you aren't married to my sister."

"That is correct, why the urgency, Mr. Maximoff?" Vision said. "Would you like me to disable the Avenger's alarm system, preferably before we get caught?"

"That'd be kinda helpful." Belle rushed as she looked out the window, making sure no horde of ex-Avengers were coming in. "So, Young Avengers, are we leaving or not? I assumed you came here to rescue me?"

Teddy threw his arm over Belle's shoulder, grinning. "Of course we came to rescue you. If we didn't Tommy would force us out the door until we did."

Billy peered out of the broken window, looking down. "Right," he said as he created a blue disc, motioning for everyone to get aboard. "Let's go."

Pietro stood still as he watched the team clamber aboard. The archer, the witch, the speedster, the soldier, the size-changer, the android, shape-shifter and the now genetic-project. They were a perfect team. They couldn't see it, but they were. They could easily become the Avengers.

"Quicksilver? Are you coming?" Billy asked.

The team was out on the disk, waiting for the speedster to decide his fate. Help his nephews find his sister, or sulk around feeling sorry for himself. And he's done a bit too much of the latter. "C'mon, we can have a family reunion when we get back to HQ."

Pietro grinned, he was liking this team already. "I'd like that."

* * *

"So, William and Thomas," Pietro said nervously. He _never_ got nervous. But this was a life-changing moment. "You're the reincarnated sons of my sister."

_Smooth, Pietro. Real smooth._

Tommy pointed at Billy accusingly. "That's his theory. Honestly, I thought if you could tell us that."

"To be _honest_, " Pietro said, looking at the eager twins. "You do look like Wanda, and you seem to share our powers, Tommy's a lot like me, at least in the looks department-"

"Aren't we just _stunning_." Tommy said.

Pietro shook his head, they were _too_ much like him. "Yes," he said, confirming the twins suspicions. " I do think you are her sons. But, it's not something you're going to want to parade around. Being a Maximoff is a very dangerous game to play."

"Okay," Billy said as Pietro pulled both of them into a tight hug. "You do know I'm _gay_ right? So this is a _little_ awkward."

Pietro pulled back, a look of shock on his face.

"Your...gay?" Billy winced. _Way to come out to your uncle slowly, Billy._ "That's cool. I thought Clint was gay for _ages..._" Billy sighed in relief. "Let me guess the shape-shifter? Hulkling, isn't it?"

Teddy and Billy blushed in unison, the red staining their cheeks. "Uh, yeah." Billy stuttered. "Good guess."

"Nah," Pietro said nonchalantly. "It's obvious really, everyone is sort of paired up on this team and then your the only ones left. Plus the fact that you blush every time you touch- even on national television." he shrugged. Taking a deep breath, he studied his surroundings. "Nice HQ, very _undercover_."

Belle, who was perched on the couch took a look at the situation. 3 reunited members of a family, and 4 completely confused Young Avengers...and an android. "Right. I think introductions are in place, don't you." she said as she rubbed her hands, momentarily causing a flame to flicker.

Kate stepped forward and shook Pietro's hand. "Kate Bishop. Hawkeye," she said. Pietro gave a pointed look to her bow and arrow. "Yeah, I'm kinda stating the obvious. But it's a pleasure to meet you, Quicksilver."

"Ah." he said, smiling. "Clint's _female_ replacement. Well, you do better than him on the looks department."

"Thanks?"

"Don't mention it." he said. Eli stood up about to introduce himself. Pietro waved him down. "And let me guess, Eli? The Young Avenger's Captain America?"

Eli had a look of worry on his face. "You know alot about us, Pietro. How did you know our names?"

"You have _no_ idea how popular you guys are. Your names? Your the hot gossip of the superhero empire. Tommy-" he looked at his nephew with a smirk. "Goggles do _nothing_ for you. As for the others, I only know your first names. Kate, Eli, Cassie, Tommy, Billy, Teddy, Vision and now...Belle. Let me say, The Avengers have some competition."

Belle who was happy that Pietro was getting along with everyone, maybe a bit too well, stood up and headed for the door. "I'd like to say thanks for getting me out, but I'll see you guys later. I"m going to go for run. I need to get the anger out of me."

Pietro and Tommy nodded in agreement as she headed upstairs. Running to get your feelings out of the way was one of the most effective ways. You concentrated on the ways your muscles moved you forward, the way the world blurred around you. And then you forgot why you were running in the first place.

She left, with her head hung low.

As soon as she left, Tommy looked to Pietro with a look of worry. "What happened back at the Tower? She seems really...different."

"Tommy, actually, all of you," Pietro announced. He was going to have this conversation with all of them sooner or later. If you were going to have Belle on your team, you needed to full-background story. "You have no idea what's she's been through. She might've told you something, but she's hiding a whole piece of it. I remember her from when she was a child-"

"You knew what was going on," Tommy said, appalled. "And you didn't stop or do anything about it?"

Pietro put his hands up in surrender. "It wasn't that bad!"

Cassie folded her arms. "Define...bad."

"Okay, it was bad, but at least she was controllable, she only had 2 or 3 injections or transfers- what ever Stark had called them, she was harmless. _Then_ Stark went a little too far. I remember him siding with the geneticist Sinister who gave him the X-Men's genetics. Really, Belle grew up with the Avengers at the Mansion." Pietro said, thinking back to his Avenger days. "She was like a daughter to all of us I suppose, Wanda and I especially, but it didn't make a difference on what _we _felt. It was up to Tony and Reed."

"So this means Cassie's met her?" Kate said. "She lived at Avenger's Mansion for like 1 weekend a month. Cass?" she looked at the young blonde who was sitting next to Vision.

Cassie shook her head. "I never met her. I think I'd remember. Though, everytime I used to venture around the mansion, there was one place in the downstairs lab that not even Hank would let me go in."

Eli tapped his finger on the table, looking between them all. "But who would go for this scheme? I doubt everyone would let Tony and Reed get away with this, it's crazy."

Pietro shrugged. "It is. See, Eli, everyone was in on it. Just not everyone agreed for their genetics to be sampled-"

"Why did _you_?" Tommy said, arms crossed.

"I wanted to fit in." Pietro replied simply and somewhat guiltily. "People like Thor and your dad, Cass, wanted nothing to do with it at all." he continued.

"Who went for it?" Kate asked. "So maybe we can guess what we're up against?"

"Well, all I know is that they managed to get most of the Avengers, X-Men, Deadpool, Mystique, Magneto, even Adrienne Frost into this..."

"So in other words, she's lethal?" Teddy remarked. "And Adrienne Frost? As in Emma Frost's sister?"

Pietro nodded. "Yes. She was murdered by the White Queen herself, but she had the gift of Psychometry when she was alive."

"Psychometry?" Billy said, confused. "What is that?"

"It is the ability to able to touch an object and instantly know a history of many events concerning the object, such as all of its previous owners, events that took place around the object, and the possible future of the object and its future owners." Vision said. "It is a very powerful gift."

"Well, she might not want to touch your bed then." Kate grinned at Billy and Teddy.

Tommy looked upstairs for a moment. All this talk about her past, and no-one seemed to notice that she was alone by herself upstairs. From what he heard about her past- being alone was something she grew up with. And he didn't want her to feel like that all over again. "Should I..." he trailed off.

"Go ahead." Pietro said, nodding knowingly. "She needs to know that she exists, and she acts differently around you than any of us."

_I wonder why._ Eli thought as Tommy stood up and headed up the stair case. _And I don't expect him to come down for a while._

_

* * *

_

Belle was laying on her stomach relaxed on the bed, whilst flipping through an 900 word +encyclopedia about psychology at a impossibly fast rate, flipping pages every 3 or 4 seconds.

She paused. Her ears listened to soft and slow breathing and a steady heart-rate, which she assumed was someone on the team, or Pietro, to come and check on her to see if she was okay after the whole 'about to be recruited by Magneto' fiasco this morning. She was glad they made a big fuss. When she was with Tony, no-one did. So all this attention was quite overwhelming. Nothing she couldn't handle, that is.

There was a creak of the doorframe and Belle sighed, rolling over to face the figure leaning in the doorway, white hair falling in his eyes.

"Did you mean it?" he said, trying to keep his emotions in check. As she left him to join Iron Man, he wanted to know if those words she whispered to him were true. He might have a snarky exterior that he puts up, but he was still vulnerable to his heart breaking, and he was worried that Belle might to the same.

She didn't say anything.

Well, she _wanted _to. But she didn't simply understand the laws of love. Why else do you think she was reading a 900 page encyclopedia on _psychology? _

All that time she sat there, staring at him, trying to open her mouth to say something. What could she say? Was it the right time? Was it to early? How should she say it-

Tommy took her silence as a no. Well, that was an obvious answer. Of course she was joking. "Don't say anything." he said.

He was going to finish whatever they had together now and here. "It didn't matter if you do or don't. Cause I don't. I never did." And as he said this, it started to kill him inside. He was lying to her, to make himself look tough. Why couldn't he be like Billy. Pure and nice to everyone, never lying...why did he have to do this to himself? Why hurt him and Belle at the same time, by denying his own feelings and letting her sort out her own.

"Tommy...I-" she tried to say. What the hell was going on, it wasn't supposed to go like this. But her stuttering must of made her sound like she was apologizing. And that was the opposite of what she was doing.

Tommy put a fake smile on his face. "No. It's fine, I knew you just needed me to save you and so you tell me that you love me. Cool. Whatever," he started to turn around. He swore he heard her mutter_: But I **do **love you...asshole. _But he shook his head and held the doorknob. Taking one last look at Belle who had sat up straight in her bed, her dark brown hair falling in loose waves, framing her face. He could see a silver tear in her eye as he stepped outside the door.

"Tommy," she said slowly as he walked out. "You don't understand."

* * *

"Wow, you have a crap life." Billy said to Pietro as his uncle finished his up to date life story, explaining Crystal and the Inhumans, his life as an Avenger and as terrorist. "Sorry." he apologized, "It's just, I thought _I_ had it bad-"

"Why, because you're gay?" Pietro said, laughing. His life was better now that he had a connection to Wanda, one that his father didn't. "That should be the least of your worries, Billy. The fact that your now part of the most hated family in existence that should be your primary concern."

"Yeah. I figured it would."

"Um, Pietro, I have a question." Eli announced. "If Tony still has remaining genetic material left, could he simply create another 'Belle'?"

Kate nodded in agreement. "That's what I was thinking too. We really don't want this happening again."

"Well," Pietro said. "It's a very distinct possibility. I'm pretty sure that it's all kept under lock and key in Avengers Tower..."

"Goingouttothinkdon'tfollowme." Tommy muttered to the team as he headed down the stairs, still in costume. He picked up his black zip up hoodie from the rack and threw it over his costume and taking his goggles off.

"Tommy?" Pietro said, confused. "What's going on."

Tommy didn't answer as he slammed the door behind him, his body urging himself forward to run, to feel the wind tangle in his white hair, for his legs to move at a blur, not feeling the ground beneath him. And that's what he did. He didn't know where he was going, but he let his body decide.

* * *

"I hate him."

"No, you don't."

"Actually, I do. He can't make his mind up. Of course I _like_ him, but he didn't even listen to me trying to explain. So, therefore, I'm not going to talk to him."

"That's a _bit_ harsh."

"Is it? Really? He deserves it. Why did I have to fall for him, of all people. He's the most arrogant, stuck up, selfish-"

"Calm down, Belle, your hands are glowing red and your eyes have turned gold, and it's creeping me out."

"I can't _take_ this anymore! I can't handle this. I wasn't meant to deal with things like this, I was made to be a weapon- _to kill people_."

"No, you weren't-"

"I have similar genetics to _Deadpool_."

"I heard about that. But it doesn't mean-"

"He's a _mercenary_."

"...Good point. But you can't be angry at him."

"Can you find a reason _not _to?"

"He's my brother?"

"Billy, that's the lamest thing I've ever heard."

* * *

**Outside Avenger Mansion...**

Avenger's Mansion. Apparently, the one place he wanted to be right now. Yeah, right. The ruins of Avenger's Mansion looked _amazing_ right now.

The mansion looked like it was in mid-stage of being rebuilt, but the sight of it was still depressing. It once stood for everything that was happy, good and pure- and seeing it like this just showed how many people had lost faith in The Avengers. He didn't, and he knew the Young Avenger's wouldn't- but he could help but think about how many civilians were hating the Avengers right now for all the crap the had put the world through.

Wait...back on track. Why was he here? Why did his stupid self drag him to the dump of bricks and grass?

Belle.

Okay. Right. He was just going to sit here and sulk about her...cool.

"You've got to go back." a voice said from behind him.

Tommy jumped and quickly spun around to see Nick Fury standing behind him, gun in hand. "Wait- _what?_"

Nick nodded stiffly. "I'm here on watch of Avenger's Mansion, making sure that you guys who are still refusing to register aren't coming into the Mansion and breeching security."

"So, shouldn't you _arrest_ me?"

"Do you _want_ to be arrested for violation of the Superhuman Registration Act?"

"No."

"Good, now go back to your team of teen Avengers and sort your issues out."

"What issues? What do you know?"

Nick chuckled. "I've seen nearly every hero, Avenger, Mutant or whatever they are, come and sit outside this mansion, Speed."

"Why?"

"It seems this place is a good place to sort your issues out. My agents have seen Quicksilver here a couple of times. It isn't unusual. Just go back and pretend nothing happened. Hopefully the person who made you come here will notice something and speak up about it. And if they don't, do something about it yourself."

"Well...okay then. I'll be off." Tommy stood up and saluted to Nick. It was a strange piece of advice, but it might work. And he was willing to try it out. "Um...thanks?"

The S.H.I.E.L.D agent saluted back. "Tell your uncle I said hello."

* * *

**The next chapter should be up by now. If not, you can review and wait for the next one.**


	8. Dear Tony Stark, You're An Ass

**Project 2512125: The Crusade of a Team of Heroes**

**Chapter 8: Dear Tony Stark, Your An Ass (With Quicksilver and Iron Man)**

_You asked me what was wrong; I said nothing and smiled. And then I turned around and whispered 'everything'_

_

* * *

_

When he got back, the team plus Belle and Pietro were sitting at the meeting table, discussing something very thoroughly. It looked important. As he shut the door behind him, everyone looked his way, then back to their discussion. He tried to get Belle's attention, but it was clear that she was ignoring him.

"But _I _want to go." Billy whined. "It's not fair."

"Um..." Tommy said, standing in the doorway. "Am I missing out on something?"

Pietro looked up and the sound of his voice. "We're going to Avengers Tower to get the remaining genetic material. You, me and Belle-"

"_And _me." Billy added. "It's the frickin Avengers Tower. _The _Avengers Tower." he squealed.

"We've already been there, remember?" Eli said.

"We had to break out Belle. And the time before that Cap and Tony wanted to shut us down."

"And the difference from breaking out Belle and stealing genetic material is?"

Billy poked out his tongue and took out a big black book from his bag. From what Tommy could make out, it was labeled 'Avengers History.'

He flipped through the pages happily. he stopped. "Avengers Tower." he read, "Also known as Stark Tower, was created in-"

"Billy, have we ever told you that we don't care?" Tommy yawned. He sat down next to Belle, putting a hand on her leg, trying to get her attention. She looked at him cause of the sudden contact, but hastily looked away.

"Fine," Eli said. He was so sick of this leading stuff. "Billy, Pietro, Belle and Tommy will go then. Geez, stop being so difficult Billy."

Kate had a sulky look on her face. "But if Billy can go-"

"No."

"But-"

"Can I go too?" Cassie piped in.

"No." Eli folded his arms.

Teddy looked worried. "I can't leave Billy, who knows what will happen?"

"I'll be fine." Billy said, reassuring his boyfriend. "I'll make myself invisible."

Belle spoke up; "Um, why don't we all just go? From memory, Tony leaves the building at 6, comes back at 6:45, we could do it."

"Do you know where the lab is though? I've been there heaps of times, but there's about 10 labs." Pietro said.

Belle grinned. "Level 83, 3rd corridor to the right, room 48. I know exactly where it is." she smiled. "You guys ready?"

* * *

The team all stood outside Avengers tower, looking up and the overlooming building.

"No-ones here." Billy whispered, his black hair blowing in the wind. "They must of gone out to dinner or something."

"Wiccan," said Tommy shaking his head. "Iron Man isn't going to waltz down to the pizza shop and order a pepperoni supreme." he paused as Billy scowled at him. "What do you think Cascade?"

Belle muttered something inaudible to the team. She felt like her feelings needed to be blamed on someone. But, she couldn't blame Teddy or Billy. They were just too cute to break apart over this. She could blame Eli, but he didn't do anything wrong. Cassie? No, she wasn't here for a while, so that ruled her and Vision out of the problem. So it all sort of rested on Kate. What- why was she thinking about her team like this? What was wrong with her? It was Tommy's fault. All his.

"Um, Cascade?" Teddy said, shaking his hand in front of her face.

She snapped out of her daze. "Oh, sorry. Just daydreaming." she mumbled.

"Security override complete." Jonas said, "Are you all ready for this. We only have 25 minutes at the most before the system restarts and figures out that it's been breached."

Holding his breath, Pietro slowly pulled the door open. He sighed in relief as it made no alarm sound. He really couldn't afford to get caught; especially when his father was lurking around somewhere instead of his island for mutants that right now were mostly de-powered, Genosha.

"Come on," Eli said as he stepped through the doors Pietro had pulled apart. "We don't have much time before they come back from..." he looked at Billy who was still in awe at the building. "From _Pizza_."

Billy still didn't say anything. He stood in front of the tower. He couldn't believe it. Everyone he had ever admired had stepped through these doors that his uncle, Quicksilver, had opened before them. Even being in _his _presence made him giddy. But The Avengers had breathed the same air, stepped on the same ground...he was in absolute Avengers nerd heaven.

"Wait-" Eli said, half in the building. "We need a plan." the team nodded in agreement. Belle knew _exactly _what the plan would be. "So, Quicksilver, Speed and Cascade. You guys are going to get the gene material, nothing else. But I don't think you going to be able to get through the doors since Vision couldn't get them open. So maybe Hulkling or I-"

"No-" Tommy interrupted. "I could just destabilize our atomic matter and super-speed us through the walls if needed."

"Or," suggested Belle, who was not sure that Tommy's plan was the safest way. It didn't sound very appealing. "I could phase us through. I haven't really done it before, but I don't think it should be that hard."

Eli nodded. "Good. Okay, the rest of us will meet you back in the main meeting room."

Billy was dizzy. "_The _meeting room? The room where-"

"WE DON'T CARE!" Tommy, Kate and Cassie yelled in unison.

"Fine." he mumbled.

Tommy headed for the door, followed by a sulky looking Belle, and Pietro, who was wondering why Eli was in charge of him. He did a pretty good job. But maybe Kate could do better?

"Meeting room!" Eli yelled out, as in a gust of wind, the 3 speedsters sped off. "But like you gonna listen." he mumbled, "Speedsters, they're all the same. Like when has Tommy ever listened to me?" and the rest of them followed in after them.

Belle stood outside the wall that would lead them to the lab. She grabbed Pietro's hand, and reluctantly grabbed Tommy's. He squeezed hers and gave her a quizzical look.

She closed her eyes. This whole phasing thing was new to her. It took quite a while for her to get used to a new power. That's why, back then, Tony's amour nearly got burnt to crisp by her newly acquired Johnny Storm, supernova flames. She stepped forward.

"...Cool. This _so _beats destabilizing atomic matter." said Tommy as they ended up on the other side of the wall. "I don't feel sick or anything."

Pietro let go of Belle's hand as soon as he saw what was in front of them. In all his time that he had been here, he had never seen this room before. Tony must be good at hiding things. Cause if anyone saw this, this room wouldn't be here anymore.

It was like an ordinary lab, a blue light pulsing through the whole room. In the centre of the room was a examination table, and rows and tables of chemicals and experiments surrounded them

"How did you know that this room was here? There's like 100 levels in this building." he asked as he picked up a beaker full of a green bubbling liquid. He put it down.

"93." Belle corrected as she walked towards some chemical fridge, letting go of Tommy's hand. It was a good 4 meters high by about 6 meters long. A blue light pulsed out of it (probably radioactive). She shrugged as she typed some codes into the panel. "I used to spend nearly everyday here, remember?" As she punched the last code in, the door hissed, and a misty haze escaped as it opened.

"Oh my god," Tommy said in awe as he saw what was inside. "Are they what I think they are?"

Inside the cupboards were rows and rows os small little black canisters, all neatly labeled. By the looks of it, it was in alphabetical order. You could see there were some empty places, a good 20 of them. These were probably the genes they didn't have yet, but were planning too.

"Yep," Belle replied, reaching for a canister. "Magneto in a bottle." she shook a canister labeled 'Lehnsherr, Erik.'

Pietro took the bottle, and was about to smash it when a tv screen swung out of the wall, a complicated looking program was displayed. Belle, Tommy and Pietro looked up and listened.

_Erik Lehnsherr...current location...searching. _A voice said as Belle touched the screen where it said 'Location Finder'.

Tony used a system quite like the X-Men's Cerebro. But this didn't need a mutant telepath, it used one of the many satellites that Stark Industries had located all round the world. It used a program which searched for Mutants, also species like Inhuman, Kree, Skrull and any other race that wasn't human or animal. And of course looked for human mutates, and if the intended person wasn't any of them, he then resorted to a genetic tracker. But in the end, powers or no powers, Tony Stark knew exactly were you were in the world. Kinda creepy isn't it?

On the current screen it had a picture of Magneto, without and with costume and everything you needed to know about him. Date of birth, race, parents, family, siblings, children, age, weight, blood type, hair and eye colour, powers, history of team alliances, code name, alias etc.

_Erik Lehnsherr, Current Location...Genosha, Africa. _

Pietro sighed in relief. He was glad he wasn't here. Tommy looked at the first ones in order, first was Allerdyce, John which was the brotherhood boy Pyro, and then next was...Altman, Theodore/Dorrek VIII

"Why is Teddy here?" Tommy managed to say as he picked Teddy's canister up. "Where did they even get it from?"

Pietro scanned the bottles, "Talk in code names Speed, Iron Man's probably got this on camera." he said while he was looking at the screen which was displaying Teddy's details, his life spread before him. His nephew was dating the son of Kree Captian Mar Vell and Skrull princess Annelle?

_Geez_, he thought, most of these Young Avengers have complicated family and self histories. Like Tommy and Billy were the reincarnated sons of the Scarlet Witch and an android, Teddy's half-kree, half-skrull, Belle was a genetic project created by Iron Man and Mister Fantastic, Cassie's dad was killed by his sister and she has a heart condition which makes her pym size changing abilities put more strain on her health and Vision has the same brain patterns as Iron Lad, which turns out he was to be Kang the Conqueror in the future.

Belle made some coughing sound. "Oh, god we're screwed."

Tommy perked up, alert. "What?" he said.

"Why are your genes here?" she asked, biting her lip. She pointed to the cabinet.

Tommy shrugged and went to S, for Shepherd. But his name wasn't there, only Stark, Anthony; Smith, Tabitha; Storm, Johnny; Summers, Scott and Alexander. No Tommy Shepherd. "It's not here." he eventually said, looking at Belle for an explanation.

"Yeah it is." Belle said, "What do you think it's under? Shepherd? No, think about it Speed. This is Tony Stark we're talking about."

Pietro smiled as Tommy went immediately to Maximoff.

There were 6 canisters labeled under that surname, Crystal, Luna, Pietro, Wanda, and himself and Billy. Why was Crystal's here under the name of Maximoff? Her last name was Amaquelin. She had gotten a divorce- but then again, it was an Inhuman annulment and their marriage had been on Earth in the first place. He wasn't even allowed to see Luna- his own daughter. He wondered how she was coping, knowing that she wasn't allowed to Earth again after what he had did to get his powers back. He quickly stopped reliving his past and turned to the job at hand; making sure they got the material.

"Maximoff? Seriously?" Tommy laughed as he took his out and looked at the label. It was labeled; Maximoff/Shepherd, Thomas. "They managed to put Shepherd in too."

On the screen, now was Tommy's life. Maximoff and Shepherd. The son of the Avenger, and the son of Frank and Mary Shepherd. "How did they manage to get yours?" said Belle, "Weren't you in Juvie?"

"Yeah, and?"

"They must of taken a blood sample heaps of times. I wouldn't be surprised if the just handed it over to Stark Industries." she said, touching the screen for a verbal guide of his life. "Watch this Tommy, it's really cool."

Tommy lounged on one of the chairs, "This ought to be good." he said. "Backstabbing scientists." he grumbled as his life played before his eyes.

_Thomas Maximoff, born to Wanda Maximoff, and the Vision, code name, Speed._ Tommy raised an eyebrow, "Billy's gonna love this."

The next minute was about souls and how he ended up with the Shepherds in New Jersey. _Thomas's abilities mirror his uncle Pietro's. Being a speedster, Thomas is granted with superhuman speed, reflexes, thinking speed, and the ability to destabilize atomic matter from a distance. He lives currently with his twin, the witch William Maximoff or also known as William Kaplan, who is a candidate for the sorcerer supreme, at this address..._the screen showed his and Billy's address.

"Okay, I'm a little weirded out." he eventually said, standing up. "What ya doing Quicksilver?"

Pietro had his arms full of gene materials, ranging from Allerdyce, John, to Von Doom, Victor. "Taking them, what we're _meant_ to be doing."

"Wait a second," Belle said as she picked up the canister labeled Project 2512125, "This is mine." she said softly, looking at the screen.

"Your names not actually Belle?" Tommy remarked.

"Seriously, If my name was Belle, what would my last name be?" she asked him.

"If it as by your creators," Pietro said, "Richards Stark? or Stark Richards. Or if you were to go by adopted guardians it'd be Richards Stark Storm?"

"Yeah, something like that." Belle said. "But I don't have a name, according to Tony and Reed, I don't need one. But I got Belle from the numbers 2-5-12-12-5, which incidentally spell B-e-l-l-e. but If I actually use every surname from all my genetic counterparts, I'd be something like-" she looked at the cabinet, "Allerdyce, Altman, Alvers, Astrovik, Banner, Barnes, Barton, Beaubier, Bishop, Blaire ,Braddock, Bradley, Cage, Celestine, Creed, Dane, Darkholme..."

"We get it." Pietro laughed.

Belle shrugged and looked at her statistic screen. Instead of family history, it was full of log and journals, showing Tony and Reeds progress on her. "As I thought." she mumbled. _Current Location..._it said _Avengers Tower. _

"Shit." she swore, picking up canisters quickly with Pietro and Tommy. "It actually knows we're here." she said, picking up Lang, Cassandra. "Wait- This is Cassie's. What is it doing here?" she said.

"She joined the Initiative Belle, she'll do anything for Tony Stark, even if it means giving up her genetics." answered Tommy, taking LeBeau, Remy's canister. "Why are the X-Men's genes here? I've got Gambits, and I've seen X-23's, Wolverine's, Emma Frost's, Ice-Man's-" he said, showing them a canister in turn.

"And my half-sister's Polaris." added in Pietro, showing them the canister labelled Dane, Lorna.

Belle was holding up her X-Men canisters that she was holding, "Yeah and I've got Northstar and his sister Aurora. Remember, that Tony has an arrangement with Sinister? This is it. But this is no use, all these won't work; the Mutant Decimation made sure of this. Unless he got these before it, which his highly probable."

Pietro looked at his collection in his arms. "Not all of us lost our powers, I did. And I did some pretty terrible things to get them back, But I know for a fact that Shadowcat and X-23 didn't lose theirs. Only around 200 maybe 300 mutants remain. But there are so many genes here. Even the Brotherhood."

Belle left Wanda Maximoff's canister till last. This was one thing she could do for Billy, Pietro and Tommy; finding the Scarlet Witch. But if Tony had this equipment, couldn't he of done this before? Maybe Wanda was cloaking her Mutant background to be more human, to escape the disaster she has caused? Belle didn't know, but as she watched Wanda's life on the screen, she had to find out.

She tapped Location Finder and waited. Pietro saw what she was doing, "Belle-" he said.

_Wanda Maximoff...Location...Searching...-_and then then the screen cut black.

"What-" Pietro hissed. He saw Tommy with a bundle of cables in his arms, along with the canisters he had picked up.

"Dude, It knows where we _live."_

Pietro clenched his fists, "We were _this _close Tommy, to finding her. And you just ripped it out of the wall?"

Belle put her head on Pietro's shoulder, since her arms were full. "Hey, judging by the cable connections, I can just hook it up to my laptop when we get back from this. Then we can go and find her. We just have to focus on getting out of here alive first, okay?"

He nodded. "Let's go-" he took one last glance at the cabinet. "We forgot Angel's, Belle could you-"

Belle reached out and grabbed Worthington III, Warren. "Got him." she said as they left the room with a case of genetic samples of over 50 superheroes, and a hard drive telling them were they all live.

* * *

Eli groaned, the others better hurry up, the team couldn't take this any more. Billy was driving them mad.

"Iron Man's a dick," he chanted as he jumped up and down on a chair, which they presumed was Iron Man's. "A backstabbing, tin wearing asshole." he said, stomping on the chair one last time. He sighed, and jumped off. "Okay, I'm all good."

Teddy sighed in relief. "And no jumping on anyone else's chair." he warned, motioning for him to sit on his lap.

Billy smiled and snuggled into Teddy's arms. Kate and Cassie rolled their eyes, and Eli just raised an eyebrow. He just hoped that they didn't go any further, he made a strict 'No Making Out While On A Mission' rule.

"Where are they?" Cassie asked.

Then Belle, Pietro and Tommy phased through the wall. "Good, we made it." Belle said, dropping a case of canisters on the floor. "Tommy, don't drop that hard drive, or I'll kill you."

Tommy adjusted the weight of the hard drive in his arms. "Don't worry, I'm not going to lose it. I hope." he added winking.

"What is that?" Eli asked, looking at the tangle of wires in Tommy's arms wondering if it was always like that, or Tommy screwed with it.

Belle picked up her box again, "It's a computer data-base of all superheroes and a tracker telling you were they are in the world. We're going to use it to find the Scarlet Witch."

Billy looked at Belle, Tommy and Pietro. "Really? You're going to find her?"

"_We're _going to find her." Tommy corrected, quickly walking out of the room, heading for the door.

"Find who-" someone said on the other side of the room.

The team all raised an eyebrow. And Kate tried to hold back a laugh.

"Spiderman? Seriously?" Tommy scoffed, trying to hold back a laugh.

Peter Parker stood in front of them, looking slightly suspicious, mask half pulled up, eating a piece of pizza. And he was in costume, his spider eyes staring right at them. "oh, I shouldn't be here-" he turned away, a web hanging from the roof.

"Neither are we." Billy pointed out. "What are _you _doing here? Your on the New Avengers roster."

Spiderman took his mask off, shaking his dark hair. "I'm sneaking around, trying to figure out what Tony's next move is. And shouldn't I be asking, you Young Avenger, what are _you _doing here?" he asked. "And wait- is that-" he pointed at Quicksilver, who was standing behind them, arms crossed. "Pietro?"

"Peter." Pietro nodded curtly. "Fancy seeing you here. Last time I saw you was on tv were you were fucking your life up."

"Yeah, I'm considering putting it up for an emmy nomination. But last time saw _you, _you were about to commit suicide. And then your wife...I mean ex-wife took you to those Inhuman dudes. So now I meet you again, sneaking around Tony's place, with the mini- Avengers."

Billy magicked a camera. "Can I take a photo? And its the _Young _Avengers." he said, preparing.

"Now, brother, is really not the time for photos." Tommy said, shaking his head. Did his uncle really commit suicide? _Why?_

Belle kept her head down, then she perked up. "Crap." she muttered, looking around. "Tony's just entered the building.

"How would you know that?" Peter butted in, looking at Belle. "Wait- is that…"

Belle smiled, "Hey Peter, we'll explain, we have to get out of here."

"I agree." Eli announced, "Now Spiderman, if you want to stay, fine, but please don't mention that we were here."

Peter shrugged, "I'll come with you, I haven't had any fun in ages. This should be fun though, running away from Iron Man with a team of mini Avengers who killed Kang The Conqueror."

"_We _didn't kill him," Cassie said, "Iron Lad did."

Vision put an arm around her shoulders, "Stature."

"But wasn't Iron Lad-"

"Yep." Kate said, popping her 'p' "Iron Lad was Kang The Conqueror."

"So he killed himself, for you guys."

"Pretty much." Teddy said.

"You must be pretty important. He must of really cared about you."

"He was the one who brought Me, Wiccan and Patriot together to form the Young Avengers in the first place. Stature came to us-"

"And Hawkeye," Eli said, grinning at his girlfriend, "Saved our lives in the cathedral."

"Great, now you admit it." Kate drawled, punching Eli playfully in the arm.

"And I," Tommy announced, "Was recruited to save Hulkling. I'm pretty pissed that no-one chose me for the original team but-"

Belle raised her hand, forcing them to stop talking. "Okay, I get all the socializing, but didn't I just mention that _Iron Man _just entered the building? You know, the one we're trying to _hide_ from?"

"Right." Pietro said, "Peter, you know this building well, where are we gonna go?"

"There's a lab downstairs-" he said but he was cut off as Eli, Belle and him gasped; their superhuman hearing giving them a pre-warning.

They heard a clatter of footsteps. Billy pulled a pen and paper and started to write something. He scribbled something and placed in on Iron Man's chair. "Done."

"Did you just-"

The door creaked open.

Belle, Pietro and Tommy used their reflexes, without speaking, each of the grabbing a team mate and speeding down stairs. Vision floated through the wall., his matter.

Belle sighed and dropped Billy and Kate on the floor. "That was close." she sighed.

Billy fell on top of Kate, he quickly rolled off, groaning, rubbing his arm. "Ow,"

Pietro gently placed a confused Spiderman and Cassie. "Very close, Peter next time could you stop wriggling?"

Teddy jumped out of Tommy's arms. "Never, again." he said, looking Tommy in the eye.

"Fine, I won't save your ass again, cause we all know it belongs to someone else." Tommy replied, winking.

Billy shook his head. "Tommy, shut up."

* * *

**Back In Meeting Room…**

Tony trudged through the room, he felt like crap. After losing 10 years of genetic work _and _Pietro to the Young Avengers, he and Reed just decided to give up. Her personality would drive the team mad, and they'll be coming back to him sooner or later.

As he walked, his armor restarting downstairs after a run in with some people who were against the Fifty State Initiative, he noticed a note on his chair. Curious, he walked over and opened it…

_Dear Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man to _**_pretty much the whole world _**_(Seriously, I thought the point of being a superhero was to have a secret identity)_

_Your an ass._

_A backstabbing, tin wearing asshole._

_Sincerely,_

_Wiccan of the seriously awesome Young Avengers (which never happened to be in your meeting room stealing your cabinet of genetics and hard drive, stole Belle back from you and really, kicked your ass.)_

"Shit."

* * *

**Please review and tell me what you think of this so far.**


	9. The Door's Locked

**Project 2512125: The Crusade of a Team of Heroes**

**Chapter 9: The Door's Locked Part I (With Spiderman & Quicksilver)**

_We've always been ready for female superheroes. Because women want to be them and men want to do them._

_

* * *

_

With a loud bang, the door locked shut.

The bang echoed through the room, startling those with acute or superhuman senses. Belle flinched and her emerald gaze shifted to the huge heavy metal door that they had all hastily entered/phased/destabilized atomic mattered-ed through moments previously.

Before any of them could stop it, or for the matter- even react- a steady rhythmic metallic clicking sound could be heard, and all the heroes then realized what was happening. Their fates were being sealed.

The lab the were in seemed different to the others. It was more like a workshop: tools and large sheets of metal scattered everywhere, computer hard drives and complicated looking chip boards were piled in the middle next to a bench, goggles and lab coats were strewn across the benches, some of them hanging on hooks situated on the sterile white walls which felt like they closing in. Various pieces of equipment were here and there, ranging from saws to step ladders.

Billy let out an exasperated sigh as the door stopped making sounds signaling that the process was complete. He ran a hand through his dark hair, giving his team, uncle and an rogue Avenger an awkward look. "And...we're dead. It's official. We. Are. Screwed."

"I wouldn't bother," Pietro called out to Teddy and Eli who were at the door, pushing, pounding and pulling, their muscles flexing but to no result. The door was _not_ going to move anytime soon. "If Tony and Reed designed that door," he continued. "It's gonna be Hulk and Captain America proof. It ain't going to move. Your wasting your time."

Billy motioned for his boyfriend to come over. "We'll figure it out, Ted."

As Teddy started to walk over, he paused for a second, stopping in his tracks. A frozen look was on his face, and Kate swore he went a few green shades paler. "I can't change back." he said, panic wild in his blue eyes. "_Billy_. I can't change...back."

Billy waved off the comment. "I don't mind," he said, ignoring what Teddy had actually said. "I think it's hot." Teddy opened his mouth in protest.

A smirk was on Tommy's face, despite the fact that they were locked in the room with no current idea of actually getting out. "Of course you do..."

"Tommy." Kate warned, scanning the room for something, but keeping an eye on the speedster at the same time. It was like babysitting a 4 year old. "For the last time. Shut up."

"I'm trying to lighten up the mood!" he protested, folding his arms in annoyance. "Since that door closed, not one person has actually smiled!"

"Is there anything to smile _about_?" Belle countered. She looked over to Teddy, gasped and then looked to Kate, giving her a message in one look. _Shit._

A sudden wave of realization hit Kate square in the face. Belle already got it, and it looked like she was the next. Teddy could always change back. Never once did that fail. And never did he say he couldn't change back. "Wait a minute," she said slowly. "You...you _can't_ change back."

"You don't think-" Eli said, a similar look of worry placed on his face.

Kate looked around at each confused hero. Belle nodded knowingly, like she knew what was coming. "Okay...um..Tommy!' she finally said. "Blow that up." she pointed at a rock in a glass case. Probably important. Ah, well.

Tommy waggled his fingers at the rock while grinning. "I'd thought you'd never ask."

There was a silent pause between all of them until Tommy lowered his arms in defeat and swore.

"Ah, shit." he swore, kicking the wall in desperateness. "I'm _so _sick of power dampeners. Damn you, Tony Stark. Smartass billionaire..."

Kate put her head in her hands, being a leader was hard work. "Billy," she looked desperately at the witch. He could just teleport them all out in a second. If he had powers, that is. "_Please_ tell me-"

The witch shook his head after his attempt to fling his brother across the room failed. "Nope, sorry. I'm all out. I feel weird..." he inspected his hands. "Really...weird..."

"Spiderman?"

"Nope."

"Stature?"

"Zip."

"Patriot?"

"Same here." Eli paused. "Why are you using code-names for?"

"Vision? You're an syntheziod, you can't-"

"All my systems are down, wi-fi and everything."

"Fine, Belle. You of all of us should-"

"For once, nothing. See, I _knew_ this would happen. Iron Man's got us _exactly_ where he wants us." she shrugged. "It was nice knowing you guys. I hope I get a jail cell next to one of you.."

Kate went back to her roll call, trying to ignore the possibility that they could actually get arrested. "Pietro?"

"You already know the answer. It'll come to no surprise, that yet again...I'm powerless." he closed his eyes for a second and put his head in his hands. "I'm having deja vu."

The archer shrugged. "Well, now you're all like me." she smirked at the heroes who all looked at each other and groaned.

Tommy was lying on the floor, trying to comprehend that he had just lost his powers. He felt dizzy and sick to the stomach, the way the world was frozen made him want to run into a wall to see what would happen. Even thinking was a difficult task, as his mind wasn't up to speed. "Just call Iron Man already." he groaned.

"Oh, come on." Kate said. "It isn't _that _bad." she cast her gaze over to Billy and Teddy who had their heads in their hands. Teddy was still in his Skrull form and Billy looked desperately hopeless as he kept on chanting to himself, but clearly nothing was happening. He just looked like some crazy guy in a cape. "Lighten up, you guys. " she tried to encourage them into at least smiling. Tommy was right about that. "It's fine, it really isn't that bad. I manage." she pointed out.

"Oh, really?" Tommy bitterly snapped, propping himself up on one elbow. It looked like a struggle, even for him. "I have to watch everything slowly. I don't run at super-speed, I _live_ at super-speed. Do you know how _hard_ it is right now for Pietro and I? It feels like someone has a hot jagged edged knife, thrusting it into your spine, edging upwards-"

"You exaggerated a bit there," Pietro chuckled, his heart not really in it. He felt like crap, like car and boat sickness attacking him at the same time. And add a cold, headache, temperature and stomach ache, and that how he was feeling at this moment. "I've been in this position before, and so have you. I heard about your Super-Juvie expedition." he smiled wryly.

"Yeah," Peter agreed. "But were you locked in a room with spandex clad Young Avengers? Cause that just tops it off for me."

A low growl escaped from Eli's throat. "Watch it, Spidey. I'm going to rip your legs off as soon as I get my-"

A sigh came from the silent Belle as she crossed her arms. "Seriously, It's been 10 seconds and Eli's planned an assassination of Spiderman and Tommy's comparing getting murdered with losing _superspeed_." she shook her head. "We'll find a way out. Just calm down."

The angry speedster kicked the wall again, not even making a dint in the metal. "It's so god damn fucking slow!' he yelled at the wall, ignoring all the weird looks he got from his team mates. He wanted it back. Yeah, sometimes having super-speed sucked. You couldn't get properly drunk, etc. But without it, he felt lost. It made him who he was. It made him the son of the Scarlet Witch. Something he felt like he was close to exploring with her own brother on the team.

Pietro was half appalled at his nephews attitude. And half impressed. Because he remembered. Tommy was _his _nephew. Pietro Maximoff Junior. Nothing like his sweet, innocent sister. "No need to swear, Speed." (Like he'd even care.)

"Shut your frickin mouth, Quicksilver." he spat.

"Tommy, calm down." Cassie commented from the left side of the room next to Vision. This was the first time she had spoke since they were thrown into the room in the first place. "Yelling and swearing isn't going to get us anywhere."

"I-" Tommy announced as he slowly got up and strutted into the centre of the room.

Billy and Teddy were sitting on the floor, Belle, Pietro and Peter were leaning against the wall and Cassie, Vision, Kate and Eli were situated on top of benches, all of them feeling lost.

"-have no powers, and we're locked in Avengers Tower. Can any of you _possibly_ see the bright side in _any_ of this?" he waited for an answer, but everyone just stared back at him. Silent agreement. No words needed.

"No." Belle said simply, as she hopped on the spot while taking her left black boot off and throwing it across the room. "Not _really_." she mumbled in an undertone.

"Exactly. We're cornered."

Pietro smirked. "Technically this is a _round_ room, so…."

"Very funny, Uncle Pete," Tommy sighed in defeat. "Cracking jokes at a time like this?"

The older, and most likely wiser speedster tilted his head to the left, lip curled in amusement. "Yes, nephew, yes I am. Cause no one else will, and frankly, I'm the only one who can pull a joke it off."

_Crunch. _"Ow! Shit!" _Whimper._

Billy scuttled over to his boyfriend with a look of shock all over his face. "Teddy, you idiot! I know you want to get out of here, but you _don't_ need to hurt yourself in the process! I like my boyfriend in one piece _thankyouverymuch._"

The witch grabbed his boyfriends hand, the one that had attempted to punch through the wall, and resulted in most of the bones in his hand breaking at impact as it collided with the metal at the strong force Teddy had applied. "You don't have super strength anymore, remember, honey?" he brushed his delicate fingers over the bruised green skin of the shape-shifter, examining the little and tiny scars and other imperfections of his skin somewhat lovingly.

Tommy had sort of calmed down (depends on your own definition of 'calm') and making his way over to the wall next to Belle who still had taken both of her shoes off and was letting her toes that and her painted golden toenails, feel the cool tiles on the floor.

"Your boyfriend is an idiot." he told his brother with a certain smugness, like it was a known fact, or he had a gut twin feeling that his brother that would never find someone who had a brain.

Billy shrugged, still holding Teddy's hand. "But he's _my_ idiot of a boyfriend." he looked into Teddy's eyes with so much passion that Belle swore her heart would like, combust or something with the power of it. "Do you want me to kiss it better?" he offered sweetly, eyebrows raised in question, battering his eyelids and his lips puckered up, making him look utterly adorable.

God, Teddy utterly loved his boyfriend. Not any guy in the whole world would offer to kiss his hand in front of a group of power-ridden superheroes whilst locked in Avengers Tower after stealing stuff from Iron Man himself.

"Thanks, Billy-"

"Stop. Right. There." Tommy ordered. "Do _not _press your little cape wearing lips to that green skin." Billy scowled at his twin. "Remember that there are 8 people in this room who don't want to see your….mushy...stuff…"

Kate reached over from the bench and ruffled Billy's dark hair. "You're a bit harsh, Tommy." Billy pushed Kate's hands away and made an attempt to fix his hair. "Oops, sorry."

Teddy was still looking at Tommy in disappointment. "Mushy stuff? You're getting low on comebacks aren't you?" he leant over agonizingly slow to Billy who finally got his hair back in place and kissed him slowly, watching Tommy shake his head in the corner of his eye. Billy was surprised at the suddenness, but kissed him back anyway. Any chance to kiss his boyfriend was a good as any.

Tommy leaned to the side and onto Belle who had a sort of scornful look on her face. Like she was trying to decide is the wanted to make out with him or ignore him forever. "My brain is working so slow," he said, "that I cannot think fast enough for worthy enough comebacks."

Eli snorted. "What brain? I don't think you had one to begin with."

"Yeah...well...shut up." Tommy said. "Can we kinda focus on getting out of here? Pietro keeps staring at me and I know it's cause I'm unbelievably and _extremely_ attractive-"

Everyone, even Peter, just glared at him and shook their heads. Even with no powers, Tommy Shepherd was still irritating. And being locked in a room with him was going to be an interesting experience.

"-but he's my uncle and that'd be kinda weird and stuff. So, um, Pietro, I don't swing that way. Sorry to break it to you," Tommy finished off, yawning because he was either actually tired and not in his hyperactive mood, or loss of super-speed actually did that to him.

"I'm only looking at you," Pietro said. "Because you look _just _like me."

"Yeah. I get that _alot_. No need to point out the obvious, Quicksilver." Tommy scoffed, rolling his eyes at his uncle. "Still. I'm hotter."

Cassie sighed. "So are we going to get out of here or what?"

"If you have a plan," Eli said. "I'd like to hear it. Cause with no powers, we are _really _out of ideas."

Everyone paused for a second in which they all looked around the room trying to find some sort of contraption that would help them escape the wrath of Avenger's Tower. Because no matter how much the Young Avengers worshiped the building- being unwillingly looked in sucked on so many levels.

"Smash our way out?" Kate suggested, twirling a thick metal baton in her hands. "Wait..." she said throwing it at the wall. "No-one has super strength. Well, that's that plan out..."she rummaged through some more boxes.

Peter held up a silver spoon and inspected it. "We could dig our way out?" he suggested. "Like in those movies when stuck in a jail cell and they use a spoon-"

Pietro, who was digging through a cardboard box like the rest of them, cast a disappointed look at him over his shoulder. "_Dig _our way out?" he repeated in a mocking tone. "In case you haven't noticed, Peter, this is a _very_ serious situation. I shouldn't be here, neither should my nephews and their team and actually neither should _you_. So say something intelligent or shut up!" he shouted angrily, pushing the box away from him and kicking it, clearly loosing what little patience he had left. "We're going to be arrested at this rate." he mumbled in a undertone. "Great. _Again_."

There was mostly silence as everyone went through boxes and cupboards. Except for when Tommy got hold of something dangerous.

"Tommy! No!" Cassie shouted as she grabbed an object off him. "No, you can't use a _chainsaw-_" everyone turned their heads in disbelief. "-to cut through the door. You're going to kill someone!" she turned the running object off and placed it on the table, crossing her arms.

Billy who was going through the cupboards, started at his brother in awe. "You-" he then looked at Teddy, "Did he just-" he shook his head. "Trust."

Tommy held his hand up. "QUIET!" he yelled across the room. Everyone was silent. "No block your ears cause I've got a jackhammer and-"

"Tommy!"

"Someone pull the plug!"

"Stop him before he kills someone!"

It took Pietro, Peter and Teddy to take the crazed Tommy away from his jackhammer. Peter ran towards him, Pietro pulled the plug and Teddy grabbed the jackhammer and threw it to Belle, who caught it swiftly and grinned.

Kate shook her head in disappointment. "Tommy, first the chainsaw and then the jackhammer. You have to calm down, nothing's going to work. We're just wasting our time."

"She's right you know." Belle answered as she picked up and loaded a machine gun. Terror was on all the heroes faces.

"Um, Belle..." Cassie said slowly, putting her arms up in the air in surrender. "What are you doing?"

"Do you know how to use one of them? Pietro asked, edging away from the young girl with a machine gun. "Not that I don't trust you, cause I do, completely, but-"

"Are you stupid?" she laughed, putting the gun's safety on and throwing it back in a cupboard. "I'd never shoot at you. And I do know how to use one-" she tapped her head. "Tony Stark, remember? I've probably got some Nick Fury or something in me."

Eli crossed her arms at her. "What did you mean 'Kate was right'?" he asked, putting the drill he had found next to the gun and sitting on a bench next to Tommy's confiscated collection of chainsaws and jackhammer's.

"We can't get out," she said as she tapped the door 3 times, the sound echoing in the silence. "The door's made out of adamantium. Smelt it when I walked in." she added knowingly. "It smells really icky though, kinda bitter and sour…" she trailed off.

"As in Cap's shield and Wolverine's claws, adamantium?" Tommy asked. "The really hard and hell expensive stuff to make?"

Bells nodded, her face calm. "Yes, that stuff. _But_ the main point is that it's indestru-" she was cut off mid sentence when she heard a loud roaring sound. "What?"

Billy grinned widely as he motioned for Pietro to movie out of the way. "Quicksilver, move. I don't want to burn you."

Eli's face was in shock. "Where the _hell _did you get a _flame-thrower_ from?" he managed to choke out. "Don't you _dare_-"

"Never you mind where I got it from." Billy said, aiming his flame thrower at the door. The golden flames roaring. "I'm going to burn that adamantium door down, wether you guys like it or not."

"Doesn't _anyone_ listen to me," Belle exclaimed, her hands outstretched, adding more meaning to her statement. "The door is _indestructible_, as in it won't melt, be hacked apart or blown up. I thought you read comic books, Billy, you know that when it's indestructible, they really mean _indestructible. _And it doesn't change."

"What do you suggest we do, Belle?" Kate said. "Do _you _have any ideas?"

"I won't need any ideas," Belle replied, her eyes darting form each hopeful hero who wished she has some super, clever and hell amazing plan that was going to save their asses. "Because we're all going to die. There's nothing you or I can do. We're dead. It's simple."

Everyone paused for a moment. Trying to comprehend what bomb Belle had just dropped on them. Dead? This wasn't a way a hero should die, is it?

Pietro nodded slowly and swallowed. "...way to break it to us, Belle."

"Yeah," Kate agreed. "Just put it out there, why don't you."

Belle shrugged, their comments not really meaning anything to her. "Fine," she said. "What about..." she put on a sophisticated voice. "Due to the airtight circumstance we are currently situated in, the oxygen levels are rapidly depleting with the presence of 10 oxygen needing humans-"

"Tommy doesn't count." Billy said with a smirk.

"Fine... 9 humans and a complete _asshole_."

"Better."

Tommy crossed his arms at his brother and sort-of crush. "You guys suck."

Belle rolled her eyes at him. "Anyways, 9 humans and and ass in this room breathing, we'll run our of air in a 40 minutes or so. That's before Iron Man comes back anyway." she gave the team and 2 Avengers members a look. "Better? Does our death sound any cooler? The outcomes still the same, it doesn't matter how I phrase it."

"That sounds too smart." Peter said after a pause. "Personally I prefer, 'we're all going to die'. Blunt. Straight to the point. No gimmicks. Just...death."

"Does the fact that we're going to _die_ bother you at all, Peter?" Pietro pressed. "Or is this all another joke to you? I have better things to do, like find my sister- who right now needs more than anything-"

"...You're going to find _Wanda_? _The Scarlet Witch_, Wanda?" Peter exclaimed, eyes widened in surprise under his mask.

He overheard the Avengers talking about this a couple of days ago. Tony said it was a possibility that Pietro was going to contact the supposed Maximoff twins, and find his sister. But he had no idea that it was happening _now_. And right before his eyes. Oh.

"Yeah, you and what army? Who'd sign up for a mission that will almost certainly end up with someone getting _killed_? "

The Young Avengers, but mainly Billy and Tommy, gave Peter 'The Look' and he took a double take.

"You're kidding me," Peter laughed mockingly at Pietro. As he looked back to the Young Avengers. He realized how serious they all were...and about Wanda Maximoff. Love made you do some crazy things sometimes.

"-Your hiring the _Young Avengers_ to help you find Wanda? That's stupid and dangerous! Do you know what The Avengers will _do_ to Wiccan if they find out what your doing? Are you out of your mind!"

Billy bit his lip. He knew that when searching for his mother, he was really putting himself, his boyfriend and his whole team at risk. After what happened with Wanda, people who could create _everything_ out of _nothing_ were going to be a touchy subject with The Avengers and most probably...everyone else. But he had to do this, he wanted to know who he and Tommy _really _were.

"But _she_ is." Billy said. "She needs help, Peter. You know it. What she went through, the loss she experienced, anyone would snap."

"Okay, that's true. She lost you two and she snapped, I get that." Peter agreed with the young witch. "But when _I_ get angry, when the world doesn't go _my_ way, when I lose someone that...I love-" a tear was forming in his eye, the memories of the M-Day coming back no matter how hard he shoved them in the back of his mind. "I don't recreate _reality_. I don't mess the world up and remake it in the image of my terrorist father. And that's what sets us all apart from her. If you guys happen to find her- and you probably will because you've got a frickin _death wish_- no-ones going to forgive her." he rubbed his eyes. "I had a whole other family in Magneto Land- I was _happy_. And then your damn _witch_ of sister took it away from me!" Peter's voice started to shake as he stood up and grabbed Pietro's shoulders roughly. "Do we really have to have this conversation _again_!"

Pietro didn't even blink. He stared at Peter, blue eyes frozen and what Peter had just said about his sister.

Young Avengers stood in shock at the way Peter's voice rose in anger, the way the anger was flashing in his eyes. Peter Parker was usually the funny, lovable and sarcastic guy, but now, he was a whole different person. And if this was the way Wanda affected one of the nicest guys, just imagine what the others were like.

Pietro then grabbed Peter's shoulders and pushed him into the wall forcefully, his face set with hatred. "Don't you _dare _talk about my sister like that. She's an _Avenger_, I _was_ an Avenger...You Peter, you _are_ an Avenger." Pietro pointed behind him where the Young Avenger's were standing, mouths gape. "And these kids" he continued, emotion leading him on, driving out the feelings that have been bottled up for so long. "These kids are Avenger's too. And once your an Avenger - your _always_ an Avenger."

"I wish." Tommy snorted, ruining his uncles speech. "Those dudes hate us."

"For once," Eli said. "Tommy's right. Pietro, we're not Avengers, they don't think of us as more than sidekicks."

"That's only because they know that you're going to be better than they are-" Pietro put his hand up to stop a protesting Kate. "And you know it too. From what I've seen and heard, you guys are brave, you don't care how much the Avengers try to shut you down or try to arrest you, you're determined and most of all your a family to each other. And that's what drove us apart in the end. It was my fault when Wanda lost it. I wasn't the brother that I should've been." he kept his head down and dropped Peter's shoulders. "It was my fault." he whispered. "All _my_ fault."

Tommy walked up to his uncle, awkwardly rubbing his shoulder, not sure what to do. "It's not _all_ your fault. It was mostly Iron Man's."

"No, Tommy," Pietro sort of wanted to crack up in laughter in the way Tommy was trying to sooth him. "It _is_ my fault. And I'll never, ever forgive myself. I was too caught up trying to disassociate myself from my terrorist of a father then caring about the one person I loved more than anything. And now she's gone."

"I met Magneto this morning," Belle stated, looking at Pietro, "After before you came in and I'm pretty sure he wants to be a family again. He didn't actually _mention _it, but it was in his voice." Pietro frowned.

"You _met_ Magneto? In a civilized manner?" Billy said in awe. "I know he's like really bad and an enemy of the X-Men and all, but-"

"He's evil, Billy." Pietro snapped. "He manipulated my sister and I into doing his biding. Out of all of us, it's his fault. If he tried to be a father that he should of, none of this would've happened. No decimation, No crazy Wanda."

"Problem there, Uncle Pete," Tommy said. "If that didn't happen then Billy and I would've never been..."

"Created? Transfigured?" Billy suggested, shrugging.

"Yeah, and that would _suck_."

* * *

_Ten Minutes Later..._

"Oh, my god!" Tommy exclaimed. "Why the hell didn't I think of this before!" he walked over to the silver case on the floor, the one that everyone had seemed to have forgotten about.

Belle put her hands on her hips and redirected her gaze from Eli and Kate's heated and tension filled arguments, Peter and Pietro's constant bickering and fighting and Billy and Teddy doing what they usually did, to look at Tommy to see what ingenious idea he had _this _time. "Tommy-"

As soon as she saw him head towards that silver case- the box that made her who she was genetically, she jumped off from her position on the counter and quickly rushed forward, not caring that Tommy would most likely get to it first.

But it didn't matter- he couldn't get his hands on that case. Because every person who's used anything in that case - either because they wanted to experiment ad create a new super-genetic species (Reed Richards) or if they wanted to have the most complicated, high-tech, genetic weapon which diagnosed her with very faint bi-polar disorder (Tony Stark) - it's always gone downhill from there on in. And with her intelligence and human analytic skills, she knew exactly what the speedsters intentions were as soon as he looked at the case.

Knowing that it would look _extremely _weird and that she had no other way to reach the case. Belle ran behind Tommy and jumped onto his back, crashing them to the ground with a thud. Everyone else in their conversations or whatever they were doing, must of been really into it, because none of them even looked for a second.

"What-"

Before Tommy could even comprehend why the hell he was lying on the floor and Belle had her legs wrapped around his waist, Belle had untangled herself from his figure and ran to the case, sitting on it and folding her arms and crossing her legs. "No." she growled as Tommy sat up and looked at her quizzically. "Don't even _think _about it. I know you well enough to know what you're thinking-" she pointed her finger at him accusingly. "And don't think I'm proud of that either."

Tommy stood up and walked over. "You...pushed me to the ground." he said slowly, rubbing his head. "Ow. What was that for?"

Pietro, who was now discussing 'family' things with Billy, heard Belle's voice in which he turned his head to the side. A grin was on his face. He was going to sort it out, but he wanted them to _bond._ He returned back to his conversation while listening to Belle and Tommy at the same time.

"-It's our only option!" Tommy whined as he sat on the floor in front of her. "It's a genius idea, coming from me that is. I'm sure you could do better." he winked suggestively.

Belle's mind spun. How could she convince him that this was _definitely _a stupid, idiotic thing to do? He'd never listen anyway. "It won't work on you." she said unconvincingly.

Tommy smirked. She was trying to stop him. Aw, cute. But that wasn't going to make him change his mind. "They work on _you_. We're both human beings...I think."

By now, the others had all tuned into the conversation. All they saw was the two of them arguing and Belle sitting on a case of genetic material.

"Uh, no way," Belle continued to rant, her hand tightly clenched into fists. "I've gone through enough of that crap to know it something you _do not_ want to do." her voice and attitude suddenly dropped and became much softer and more depressed. "_Please_," she whispered. "I don't want anyone to get hurt. Just, don't do it."

"So, it's kinda like drugs?" Billy offered.

"Billy, shut up." Kate hissed. "I like watching them argue, and I think Belle's switched personalities." she crossed her legs and put her chin in her hand, eyes amused.

Tommy had no stood up, his hand placed on her shoulders. He was leaning down so his face was extremely close to hers. Screw Nick Fury's advice. He was going to do something about what happened back at headquarters. Tommy's hair, always messy and unruly was tickling her forehead, his blue eyes probing her emerald searching for something deep. "I'll manage," he whispered, his tone matching hers. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

"That's a stupid question." Billy remarked. "All the bad stuff happens to us, if you haven't noticed."

Belle shook her head. Tommy just _didn't _get it. She tucked her hair behind her ear. "Me." she said. "I'm the worst that could happen."

Tommy, with his hands still on her shoulders, laughed. "What's so bad about you?"

"You have no idea." she scoffed. _Geez,_ she thought. _This guy is hard to throw of course._

Peter winked suggestively. "I'm sure he'd like to find out." he clawed the air with a meow until Kate pushed him in the shoulder. "Sorry." he mumbled. "Ill just go back to sitting here doing _nothing_ until Iron Man comes and _arrests_ us."

Kate raised her hand, silencing everyone. "Question," she announced. "I'm not getting what Tommy wants to do. I was too busy watching those two-" she pointed at a guilty looking Tommy and Belle. "-argue the whole time, which is just entertaining in itself. Can someone explain?"

Belle sighed and shrugged Tommy's firm hands off her shoulders. She stood up and grabbed the case, heading towards the centre table that was clear of equipment. Everyone watched and were silent, the humming of the computer to the left running was the only sound made.

"For all of you who don't simply understand Tommy's suggestion," Belle started to unclasp the mettle claps whilst taking deep breaths. The group shuffled and crowded around the bench, curious. Vision stood in the background. "He wants to inject himself - or one of you- with a liquid based genetic sample-" another clasp was hatched open. "Which in turn would give him temporary powers." _click_. Another clasp unlocked.

Tommy was somewhat confused. "Temporary? But you-"

She shook her head, unclasping the penultimate clasp. "I have a unique blood type that absorbs the genetic code in the sample and adapts it to my body."

"So, you're kinda like Rogue from the X-Men?" Peter asked, one arm propped onto the bench, his eyes flickering now and again to Eli. "Absorbing powers with a touch?"

Pietro already knew all of this, and he was surprised that Peter didn't know. Maybe he was too new of an Avenger and wasn't let in on the secret or they were worried that the secret would get out. He kept on listening to Belle's explanation, admiring her calmness in a situation that was personal for her. He never did personal well.

Belle opened the case in front of them, the hundred's of little canisters -her life- were spread out before them. The innocent bottles laid there, and Belle's slim finger ran over the black glass, her face unreadable. She flicked her gaze between each person, Kate (calm), Eli (also calm, which was a surprise), Cassie (quizzical), Billy and Teddy (sympathetic), Vision (out of place), Tommy (curious), Pietro (understanding) and Peter (just downright confused).

As she looked at them, she find it miraculous that she actually had friends. Not people she was meant to capture, kill or cause pain to. Because, she remembered what Iron Man had said all those years ago, the memory always haunting her every-time she felt like she fitted it, like she had friends and a real family...

* * *

_Flashback. 6 Years Ago._

…

"How do you feel today?" a younger by at least 6 or so years, Reed Richards, asked a a young girl whose dead straight dark brown hair was braided up into a tight pony tail. "Do you feel dizzy? Headaches?" she shook her head and he checked them off on his clipboard. "Good."

The girl, Belle (who had yet to be even named yet), knew the protocol. After the usual questions, she would be asked to sit on a bench, where Reed would get out a needle, inspect it and tell her to relax. From there on in, it was pretty explanatory.

Reed plunged the needle into her arm, and Belle whimpered. He watched the blue liquid recede from the needle and when it was all gone, he removed the needle and stuck a pink band-aid there. The pain the followed these 'injections' was unbearable to any normal person. But to her, it felt like a uncomfortable punch to the gut, followed by kick and maybe a blow to the head. Still, to everyone else it felt like fire running through their veins.

Reed placed the canister he just used, labelled 'Maximoff, Pietro', back into the fridge and sighed. _In goes super-speed, and a whole lot of hell to follow. _

"Can you do me a favor?" Reed asked Belle who nodded somewhat awkwardly. "See the pile of books over there? Can you torch it and cover it with a forcefield, and then move the field up and freeze it? We'll see if the genes we got from Justice and Ice-Man last session worked."

Belle raised her hands, her eyes flickering into a golden colour and hands glowing golden. "Okay, Mr. Richards."

_Knock. Knock_.

Tony Stark leaned in the door frame in his armor. "Hey, Reed. I need the experiment now." he clapped his hands. "Please I want to show Hank and Strange something. They don't believe me that it _actually_ works. And if they see what she can do, maybe they'll contribute."

"Don't give her magic though, Tony. She's too unstable."

"Yes, sir." Tony saluted. "You know I hate magic in the first place. I just want them to not think of us as the enemy. Imagine what we help we can give The Avengers with her. Maybe with some serious training," Tony put a finger on his chin. "Maybe Clint and Steve could help with that. But she could be _amazing_."

Reed sighed and helped Belle off the bench in which she stood silently, unsure on what to do, when to speak, when to move, even when to breathe. "Off you go," he pushed her gently in Tony's direction. He turned to Tony. "Don't let her socialize, will you? She might actually make her _own_ decisions. And that's something we don't need. And make sure Scott keeps her away from Cassie, I don't want anyone else to know."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Don't worry. Scott doesn't have Cass this weekend." he took Belle's hand and led her outside and down the corridor.

As they walked down the corridor she stopped in front of the massive artwork of the Avengers. Belle looked at it, her head tilted. "Who are they? I do not reconginze some of them."

"They're not your friends." he tugged her hand to keep moving, but she stayed put.

"Friends?" she inquired, looking at the team before her. "What is the protocol for friends?"

"Don't trust them."

"My definition of friends is different. I have an understanding that Mr. Barton and Ms. Maximoff are friends. So are you and Mr. Rogers."

"Just don't trust them, okay. You don't want to associate yourself with them."

"But you trust Mr. Rogers." Belle touched Wanda's face. "She's very pretty. Do you agree, Mr. Stark?"

"You know what?" Tony said, leading her away from the picture. "We've got to find Hank so I'm gonna set this straight for you. You don't need friends. Okay? If you ever manage to get some, don't trust em. They're only going to betray you, so it's best that you keep away from them. For you, friends are going to get you no-where."

Belle nodded and followed Tony to Hank's lab. "I understand. No friends."

"Good..." Tony said. He turned his head around and looked at her. "And yeah, Wanda's pretty. But that's beside the point."

…

_End of flashback._

_

* * *

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**Has anyone read Children's Crusade 4? OMG! It was so good! If you want to see the status of my other stories, you can check on my profile. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think of this so far. Part 2 will be up soon.**


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